Matt Lerner – a founder of WalkScore – thinks Vancouver has the right idea, as told by Seattle Times columnist Nicole Brodeur in “Walking the walk on urban livability.”
Lerner — who lives in Wallingford with his wife and two young children — thinks the solution to Seattle’s logjam hinges on two things: affordable housing and getting out of our cars.
He’s a big believer in backyard cottages, which would allow younger, lower-income people (think grad students and baristas) to live within walking distance of their jobs in the city, while diversifying housing, strengthening neighborhoods and saving homeowners from mortgage disaster.
The cottages are illegal now, but Lerner thinks they could be made a viable option by striking a few lines from the Seattle’s zoning laws regarding setbacks.
One neighborhood in Vancouver, B.C. — where cottages are allowed — increased housing by 30 percent without changing its character, Lerner said. It put the brakes on growth by optimizing existing space, and in the process, preserved untouched land.
Also, this:
(Lerner) was happy to sign on as co-chair (with Mayor Ed Murray) of The Seattle Design Festival (SDF), put on by Design in Public and AIA Seattle.
The festival, now in its fourth year, will put on 81 public programs across two weeks (Sept. 4-19) next month “to explore all the ways design makes life better in Seattle.” … Come out to the Seattle Design Festival and talk with urban planners, real estate developers and others who all want a smooth, safe city.
Nice idea. Maybe inspiration for Vancouver’s Urbanarium society – so we can learn from Seattle.
