SEATTLE x Green Factor

The Greening of Seattle’s Neighborhood Business Districts

"The Seattle Green Factor is a menu of landscaping strategies for new development in neighborhood business districts. It is designed to increase the amount and quality of urban landscaping in dense urban areas while allowing increased flexibility for developers and designers to efficiently use their properties."The Green Factor encourages the planting of layers of vegetation and larger trees in areas visible to the public and in the public rights-of-way directly adjacent to the property. There are additional bonuses for using rainwater harvesting and/or low-water-use plantings. Use of larger trees, tree preservation, green roofs and even green walls is encouraged." [from brochure]

The website also includes links to:

• an Excel worksheet for calculating square footage and green factor points to meet ordinance requirements
• the ordinance language
• list of Green Factor street trees
• a rainwater harvesting calculation tool
• other green tools & resources

Green Factors appear to be based on cost of installation rather than environmental services. Additional points are earned for drought tolerant plantings and landscapes visible from the street.