Harper’s Index: Seattle
Percentage of Seattle’s historical streams that have been buried or piped: 71%
Number of remaining open streams with continuous daylighted sections: 2
Acres of tree canopy lost between 2016 and 2021: 255
Percentage of canopy loss occurring in low‑income neighborhoods: 78%
Number of public restrooms open 24 hours in Seattle: 6
Number of Starbucks locations in Seattle: 133
Number of encampment removals conducted by the city in 2023: 943
Percentage of removals resulting in permanent housing placements: 6%
Number of underpasses filled with boulders to deter sheltering: 18
Number of underpasses modified to support wildlife passage: 0
Acres of Seattle greenbelt classified as “undeveloped”: 3,700
Acres of “undeveloped” land the city actively maintains: 200
Number of herbicide application sites reported by Seattle Parks in 2023: 187
Percentage of herbicide use occurring in South Seattle: 62%
Percentage of Seattle’s land area paved for transportation infrastructure: 27%
Percentage of Seattle’s land area legally available for sleeping outdoors: 0%
Number of people living unsheltered in Seattle/King County (2024 count): 7,685
Number of legally sanctioned places to sleep outdoors: 0
Year Seattle declared homelessness a civil emergency: 2015
Number of emergency powers used to expand 24‑hour restroom access: 0
Volunteer hours contributed annually to forest restoration (2023): 74,000
Percentage of forest restoration labor performed by volunteers: 82%
Percentage of Seattle’s stormwater that enters waterways untreated: 52%
Percentage of public messaging blaming unhoused people for pollution: 100%
Number of times the city cited “environmental hazards” to justify sweeps in 2023: 312
Number of times the city cited itself as the environmental hazard: 0
Number of ecosystems in Seattle that persist despite suppression: uncounted
Number of people doing the same: uncounted
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