Creating Opportunity In South Lake Union
Background
The Mayor's action agenda projects the South Lake Union neighborhood as a regional hub for biotechnology and other sciences, bringing thousands of jobs and households to the area by 2020. Land use changes are one piece of this plan.
Updating the South Lake Union Neighborhood Plan
In the 2004 Comprehensive Plan 10-year update, South Lake Union was designated an urban center. An urban center designation recognizes the significant growth planned for the neighborhood. The Comprehensive Plan has targeted 16,000 new jobs and 8,000 new households to be added to the neighborhood between 2004 and 2024.
In the 2004 Comprehensive Plan 10-year update, South Lake Union was designated an urban center. An urban center designation recognizes the significant growth planned for the neighborhood. The Comprehensive Plan has targeted 16,000 new jobs and 8,000 new households to be added to the neighborhood between 2004 and 2024.
Being designated an urban center is a regional designation. The King County Countywide Planning Policies contain requirements for an urban center plan. The South Lake Union neighborhood plan update will address those requirements, acknowledge the growth that is planned for the neighborhood, and to capture the changes to the neighborhood over the past seven years.
The updated South Lake Union neighborhood plan builds on the existing plan; requirements for Urban Center plans under the Countywide Planning Policies; plans for large scale redevelopment of the neighborhood; major public investments planned for the neighborhood; and ongoing City efforts to support the growth of the neighborhood. The development of the South Lake Union Urban Center plan was managed by DPD staff, incorporating community input and participation.
As with the previous neighborhood plan, the updated neighborhood plan consists of four parts:
- recommendations to amend the South Lake Union neighborhood goals and policies in the Comprehensive Plan;
- an update to the recognized neighborhood plan to reflect new goals and address requirements in the Countywide Planning Policies;
- an updated set of strategies to implement the goals and policies; and
- community prioritization of the policies and strategies.
A series of meetings were held between June of 2005 and June of 2007 to receive public input on ideas related to the neighborhood plan. See the Events and Activities Page for more information.
Related Links
- Seattle's Comprehensive Plan
- 1998 South Lake Union neighborhood plan
- South Lake Union Friends and Neighbors (SLUFAN)
- Cascade Neighborhood Council (CNC)
- King County Countywide Planning Policies
Improving Urban Form
In 2008, the South Lake Union Friends and Neighbors Community Council (SLUFAN) began work with DPD and other community groups to review heights, densities and the neighborhood’s urban form. The purpose of this study wasto implement recommendations from the SLU neighborhood plan. The urban form study seeks to:
- Promote development that maintains South Lake Union as a vibrant, sustainable place to live, work and play.
- Provide for a more diverse and attractive neighborhood character by providing a mix of housing types, uses, building types and heights.
- Provide for public benefits including affordable housing through zoning incentives.
- Enhance the pedestrian quality at street level by providing amenities, taking into consideration light and air as well as public view corridors and providing for retail activity at key locations.
Updates to the SLU Neighborhood Design Guidelines
Amendments to the Land Use Code to correct and clarify the South Lake Union (SLU) Neighborhood Design Guidelines were passed in May 2005. These revised guidelines will aid our volunteer Design Review Board members and others active in the design review process do their work in furthering quality design in South Lake Union.
Amendments to the Land Use Code to correct and clarify the South Lake Union (SLU) Neighborhood Design Guidelines were passed in May 2005. These revised guidelines will aid our volunteer Design Review Board members and others active in the design review process do their work in furthering quality design in South Lake Union.
In applying the SLU guidelines to recent development proposals, Design Review Board members have reported the need to make revisions to the wording of certain guidelines. The revisions more properly express the intent of design guidelines, focusing on design objectives without prescribing the manner in which an objective is to be met. Flexibility in achieving good urban design is central to the Design Review process and of design guidelines.
The revised guidelines maintain their focus on the neighborhood’s key urban design elements to:
- Reinforce the existing context and character of the neighborhood; and
- Outline ways in which new development proposals can relate well to noteworthy buildings and positive attributes in the neighborhood.
See ordinance and updated design guidelines.
Other South Lake Union City programs to create housing and job opportunities
- The Mayor's South Lake Union Action Agenda
- South Lake Union Park
- Mercer Corridor Project
- South Lake Union Streetcar
- South Lake Union Transportation Study
- South Lake Union Neighborhood Plan
Last Updated: Feb. 22, 2011
