The City's professional designers and planners, along with the accomplished citizens who serve on the City's review boards and commissions, shape the character and form of proposed new development in Seattle's neighborhoods. Their work includes both coordinating large-scale urban design projects and reviewing the design of individual projects. The key players are described below.

City Programs

     

Waterfront Promenade

CityDesign
Established in 1999 to provide leadership and education for the urban design of the City's public realm, CityDesign initiates citywide projects--like the Waterfront Plan, the Blue Ring and Green Streets--that bring together the City's departments on cross-functional teams to address the City's large-scale urban design needs. CityDesign also lends staff support to the Seattle Design Commission.
     

The Greenlake		  

Design Review Program
Started in 1994 after citizens, designers and developers decried the incompatible design of many buildings built in the 1980s--the result of the City's prescriptive Land Use Code--the Design Review Program provides a public forum to guide the design of new private commercial and multifamily development. DPD's Land Use planners work with developers to bring their projects for public review by Seattle's citizen-led Design Review Board.  
     


Citizen Boards & Commissions (also see Project Design Review in Seattle brochure)

 

    

Olympic Sculpture Park		  

Seattle Design Commission
Formed in 1968 when officials wanted oversight of the City's capital projects following the passage of the massive Forward Thrust Bond, the Seattle Design Commission ensures design excellence in public facilities and projects in the City right-of way.  It advises the Mayor, City Council and all City departments on the design of City projects and projects that affect the City's right-of-way.
     

The Greenlake		   Design Review Board
Created in 1994 to coincide with the establishment of the Design Review Program, Seattle's Design Review Board enables citizens to review multifamily and commercial projects.  The board's review encourage better design and responsiveness to site context, provide flexibility in the application of City’s development standards, and engage citizens and developers to resolve issues early in the design process.
     

Northgate		  

Seattle Planning Commission
Initially formed in 1911 after voters had experienced two decades of fast growth and passed an amendment to create a commission to draw up plans for the city's future expansion.  The Seattle Planning Commission advises the Mayor, City Council and City departments on broad planning goals, policies and plans for Seattle's physical development.  They also engage citizens in the work of planning for the city’s future.
     


Admiral Theater

 

Historic Preservation Boards
In 1973 preservationists feared the City's plans for a downtown ring road and urban renewal would destroy more landmarks, so they urged the City to form the Landmarks Preservation Board.  This board identifies, preserves, protects, and ensures appropriate alterations to individual landmarks.  It also preserves, protects and ensures compatible alterations to significant characteristics of these three districts:

  • Harvard-Belmont Landmark District
  • Columbia City Landmark District
  • Ft. Lawton Landmark District
     

Pike Place Market

Formed in the 1970s to preserve the character of neighborhoods under the threat of urban renewal, the four boards listed below were created to provide protection for historic properties in their districts:

The five Historic Preservation boards above are staffed by the City's Historic Preservation Program in the Department of Neighborhoods.