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South Lake Union Zoning

Two decades of rezones turned South Lake Union from warehouses into Seattle’s tech and biotech district.

Zoning map of the South Lake Union area of Seattle
  • Homes & Small Shops
  • Midsize Residential & Shops
  • Large Buildings
  • Downtown & Highrise
  • Institutions
  • Industrial

At a Glance

Predominant Zoning
SM-SLU mixed-use
Commercial Corridors
Westlake Ave N, Denny Way, Mercer St
Transit
South Lake Union Streetcar, frequent buses

Nearly all of South Lake Union is zoned Seattle Mixed (SM-SLU), which permits the office, lab, and residential towers that replaced the neighborhood’s low-slung warehouses. Lake Union Park and MOHAI anchor the waterfront at the north end.

The South Lake Union Streetcar and frequent buses connect the district to downtown, and the blocks south of Denny Way blend into the Denny Triangle’s downtown zoning. Few Seattle neighborhoods show the link between rezoning and redevelopment this directly.

See It on the Map

Open the interactive map centered on South Lake Unionto see every parcel's zoning, click for allowed uses and nearby permits, and toggle transit and bike layers. New to zone codes? Start with the guide to Seattle zoning.

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Seattle Atlas is not affiliated with the City of Seattle. Zoning data is sourced from official city datasets but may not reflect the most recent changes — verify with official sources for legal determinations.