University of Washington: A Resilient Future Starts Here. Online Master of Infrastructure Management and Planning. Apply Now.

ADUs

Bird's eye view of downtown Bremerton with the marina and some midrise buildings in the foreground.

Bremerton Eases Backyard Cottage Restrictions

Bremerton is allowing an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on every single-family lot and waiving parking and owner-occupancy requirements. The City tabled a measure to...

Kenmore and Kirkland Reform Accessory Dwelling Regulations, Snohomish County Could Be Next

Accessory dwelling unit (ADU) reform has been taking off across the Puget Sound region. Seattle, Tacoma, and Burien all approved sweeping changes to ADUs...
Backyard cottage with woman in patio and sunset.

City Launches “ADUniverse” Website for Pre-approved Backyard Cottage Designs

On Tuesday, the City of Seattle rolled out a website called ADUniverse that will offer 10 pre-approved accessory dwelling unit (ADU) designs and other...

City’s Plan for Pre-approved Backyard Cottages Shouldn’t Require Uncompensated Labor

It has been nearly two years since Mayor Jenny Durkan directed the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections to fast-track pre-approved designs of backyard...

In Pursuit of the Affordable Backyard Cottage

Last summer when the Seattle City Council passed legislation that encouraged development of backyard cottages across the city, the move was generally met with...

What Seattle’s “Best in the Nation” Mother-In-Law Apartment and Backyard Cottage Reform Does

On Monday, the Seattle City Council unanimously (8-0 vote) adopted a land use reform bill, easing restrictions on building accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in...

ADUs In, McMansions Out, and Could Fourplexes Be Next?

The Seattle City Council voted 8-0 Monday to pass accessory dwelling unit (ADU) reform, making it much easier to add a backyard cottage and/or...

Call to Action: Attend the Backyard Cottage Public Hearing at Seattle City Hall Tuesday

The first public hearing on Councilmember Mike O'Brien's backyard cottage proposal is Tuesday June 11th, and housing activists under the umbrella group More Options...