Seattle is in the middle of a dilemma, as the city desperately needs more housing, but building it often means needing to make room in places that are already developed and green. A recent controversy surrounding new University of Washington housing shows how these priorities come into conflict.
UW is currently redeveloping its Blakeley Village and Laurel Village properties near campus. The projects will significantly increase student housing, with Blakeley Village planned for about 1,000 single-student beds and Laurel Village expanding to 341 apartments for students with families. The developments were always expected to require tree removal. At Blakeley, 76 of 152 inventoried trees were approved for removal, while Laurel Village was approved to lose 90 of its 143 trees. UW says hundreds of new trees will eventually be planted, leaving both sites with more trees than before construction.
However, the issue becomes more complicated when trees specifically designated for preservation are damaged or removed during construction. Protecting a tree does not simply mean avoiding cutting down its trunk. Construction equipment, soil compaction and damage to root systems can kill a tree slowly even if it remains standing. UW’s own construction standards require protective fencing around trees meant to remain and restrict equipment and soil disturbance within protected root areas. The university also has financial penalties for unplanned removals caused by inadequate tree protection.
Seattle’s most recent citywide canopy assessment found that development is one factor contributing to tree loss, as housing and infrastructure compete for limited land. Trees are more than decoration, as mature tree canopy provides shade during increasingly hot summers, absorbs carbon, improves air quality, provides wildlife habitat and helps manage stormwater.
Planting replacements does help, but a newly planted sapling cannot immediately provide the same benefits as a mature tree that has been growing for decades. Seattle’s tree regulations therefore require protection areas around many trees retained during development and can require replacement when others are removed.
This doesn’t mean Seattle should stop building housing, as UW students, like the rest of Seattle, are dealing with limited and expensive housing options. As Seattle becomes denser, it will become increasingly challenging to make sure trees promised protection stay protected.
