Over multiple generations and through cycles of boom and bust, Seattle has continuously reinvented where and how it houses its residents and the ways it fosters the livability of distinctive, vibrant neighborhoods to promote quality of life, walkability, access to efficient public transit, parks and the cultural amenities that enrich urban life. Today’s Seattle faces a new set of challenges, which demand that – once again – we rethink urban living and how we shape the environments that we call home. As Seattle expands rapidly and experiences massive economic and population growth, we are confronted by the reality of more people chasing a limited supply of housing than ever before in our history. This, combined with a booming regional housing market, fewer and fewer federal and state funds dedicated to subsidized housing, and widening income inequalities locally, nationally and globally, have created – and will likely sustain – a housing affordability crisis unlike any Seattle has experienced since the Second World War. At the same time we are constrained by outdated policies and historical precedents that are no longer viable for the long-term health of our city. Some of the challenges are intrinsic to Seattle, for example tight limits on housing supply epitomized by the fact that at present almost two-thirds of our urban land is restricted to Single Family zoning.