The City Council approved the One Seattle Comprehensive Plan in December 2025. Phase 2 — the actual zoning map changes — is rolling out through 2026. If you build, invest in, or design buildings in Seattle, these changes redraw the rules on what you can put where.
What Is the One Seattle Plan?
The One Seattle Plan is Seattle's updated Comprehensive Plan, a state-required document that guides where and how the city grows over the next 20 years. It sets goals and policies for housing, transportation, parks, utilities, and economic development, and it designates which areas of the city should absorb the most growth.
The plan itself doesn't change zoning. That happens in Phase 2, where the city translates the plan's growth strategy into actual zoning map amendments.
Key Changes in Phase 2 (2026)
New Neighborhood Centers
The plan creates 30 new Neighborhood Centers, which are areas within approximately 800 feet of existing commercial nodes or major transit stops. In these areas, the city is allowing more apartments and condos through upzones.
If you own or are looking at land within 800 feet of one of these new centers, your site may have jumped from single-family or low-rise zoning to mid-rise eligibility. That changes the math on a lot of parcels that didn't pencil before.
Expanded Urban Centers
Existing Urban Centers — University District, Northgate, South Lake Union — are expanding their boundaries. Parcels that were just outside an Urban Center now fall inside, with higher density allowances.
Frequent Transit Corridors
Arterials with 15-minute-or-better bus service are getting zoning bumps too. A lot of these corridors were zoned for low density despite strong transit access — the new rules open them up for housing.
Simplified Midrise Standards
The old MR code capped buildings at four stories — too short to justify the cost of apartment construction on most sites. The new standards raise that ceiling so apartment projects in midrise zones can pencil.
What Developers Should Do Now
1. Check the Updated Zoning Map
The city's One Seattle Plan Zoning Implementation hub shows the proposed zoning changes. Compare your target sites against the new map to understand how their development potential has changed.
2. Evaluate Your Pipeline
If you have projects in the early stages, such as site selection, feasibility analysis, or pre-application, re-evaluate them against the new zoning. A site that didn't pencil under old zoning may now work with increased density allowances.
3. Monitor the Timeline
The City Council's Select Committee on the Comprehensive Plan is advancing Phase 2 legislation through 2026. Votes on specific zoning changes happen on a rolling basis — some areas will be rezoned months before others.
4. Watch for Appeals
Comprehensive Plan amendments can be appealed under SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act). Appeals could delay implementation of specific zoning changes.
How BuildVue Helps
BuildVue tracks every active project's current zoning and development stage. As upzones take effect, you can spot neighborhoods with new zoning but few active projects — that's where the opportunity gap is. You can also watch what other developers are proposing in newly upzoned areas and track how projects move through the pipeline.
Browse Seattle neighborhoods to see current activity against the new zoning map.
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