A place to work through hard questions together
Many of the stories we’ve shared so far are about neighbors creating spaces for connection.
Advocacy starts from a related but slightly different place. It’s rooted in the idea that building a strong community isn’t only about gathering. It’s also about having a place to work through problems together and decide what we want our neighborhood to become.
Over the past year, the clearest example of this has been the zoning workshops connected to the One Seattle Plan.
The Advocacy Committee, founded by Dakota, originally set out to create spaces where neighbors could get informed about changes happening at the city level. What quickly became clear was that information alone wasn’t enough. Neighbors didn’t just want to learn. They wanted a place to talk, to process what they were hearing, and to figure out what to do next.
As conversations around zoning intensified across Seattle, organizations both strongly in favor of and strongly opposed to different parts of the plan began to emerge. Rather than aligning with any one position, the Maple Leaf Community Council focused on creating neutral ground. A space where neighbors could come together, listen to each other, and work through the issues side by side.
That approach changed the tone of the conversation.
Through the zoning workshops, neighbors moved past shouting matches and online debates and began sitting down together. They talked about what they were worried about, what they valued, and what kind of growth felt right for Maple Leaf. From those conversations came shared work: documentation, proposals, and ideas related to trees, density, affordability, transit, commercial development, and more.
The workshops have drawn many participants over the past year, with people returning week after week to continue the work. What’s emerged is not just a response to zoning changes, but a foundation for broader advocacy in the neighborhood.
As the committee continues, we see this as a place where neighbors can get involved in many different issues that affect daily life in Maple Leaf. Street safety. Crosswalks. Speed bumps. Lighting in parks. These are the kinds of concerns that benefit from thoughtful discussion and collective action.
Historically, the Maple Leaf Community Council has played a civic role in different ways, including deeper ties to city government and even board elections voted on by neighbors. While that structure has changed, the desire for civic engagement hasn’t. Today, advocacy means creating space for conversation, recognizing our limits as an independent organization, and working together where we can to improve the neighborhood.
If there’s something you’d like to see change in Maple Leaf, reach out. There’s either already a place to have that conversation, or an opportunity to help start one.
The zoning workshops will continue, and we’re also looking to expand advocacy into other areas where neighbors want to see progress. This work only happens when people show up, share their perspectives, and commit to working through challenges together.
Did you know?
More than 4,500 people attend Maple Leaf Community Council events each year, yet only about 5% of neighbors actively support the council financially. For just $3 a month, you help sustain spaces where neighbors can come together, work through complex issues, and advocate for improvements across the neighborhood.