Multi-Family Housing in Single Family Zones: Schools

  • Map
  • City of Seattle
  • Sightline Institute
Seattle Listing

In the visualization, titled Multi-Family Housing in Single Family Zones: Schools, Sightline compared educational achievement data from the GreatSchools index with housing data from the King County Assessor, City of Seattle building permits, and City of Seattle zoning maps. The map reveals the expected trend: that the city's most highly ranked elementary schools (measured by the percentage of students testing at or above grade level in math and English) are concentrated in the north, home to Seattle's most expensive neighborhoods. The map reveals a relationship between school ranking and a neighborhood's availability of single vs. multi-family units according to the city's highly restrictive zoning pattern. On average, single-family zoning (one unit owned by one family) covers 72% of land in attendance areas of Seattle's 13 top-rated public elementary schools. Reveal the relationship between educational outcomes and the presence of single vs. multi-family homes in order advocate for changes in zoning regulations.

DATASETS

GreatSchools Index, King County Assessor data, City of Seattle building permits open data, City of Seattle zoning maps

PROJECT LINK