Seattle has very stringent tree protection codes that have prevented the worst of such impacts. However the urbanist push for a high pace of concentrated develo

Seattle has very stringent tree protection codes that have prevented the worst of such impacts. However the urbanist push for a high pace of concentrated development and population growth has led to many trees being cut down as exemptions were carved out for big apartment developers. With the additional population, it feels like the per capita tree count/green area has fallen behind. Now small neighborhood pocket parks feel like they’re always crowded rather than like a welcome escape, and driving through arterials feels less “organic” and more like driving through a concrete jungle. The thing is you can’t protect the environment and maintain a localized sense of balance if unchecked development is allowed. The aesthetic aspects of it, which I feel are important for mental health, simply don’t carry over. If you think about it, the promise of a high density core with everything within a 15 minute walk means that something else has to give and get pushed out.