Seattle’s quirky and individualistic neighborhoods are one my favorite features of the city. I love the fact that an afternoon spent hanging out in Capitol Hill has a different feeling than one spent in the University District, Columbia City, or Alki Beach. Over the years, I have clocked more satisfying vacation time exploring or relaxing in Seattle’s neighborhoods than anywhere else on the globe, and I often joke to my husband that the easiest (and cheapest) way for me to experience a complete vacation is to travel to Madison Park Beach, only a couple of miles away from where I live as the crow flies.
But despite the charms they may offer, many of Seattle’s neighborhoods fail on an important point: residents have to travel outside of their neighborhoods’ boundaries to meet essential needs related to work, education, shops, healthcare, entertainment, and access to healthy groceries.
The Covid epidemic has forced us to consider the built environment and transportation systems that shape our daily lives in new ways, and one side effect of our altered reality is a growing amount of fanfare around the concept of the 15-minute city, which proposes that all city residents should be able to meet their essential needs within a short walk or bike ride of home.
Last week while discussing proposed amendments to Seattle’s comprehensive plan, Seattle 2035, which serves as a 20-year vision and roadmap for Seattle’s future, the Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) shared that they will be exploring the concept of a “15-minute city” as a potential framework for the next major Comprehensive Plan update due in 2024, thus potentially adding Seattle’s name to the growing list of cities vying for the distinction.
