Northgate Revitalization
Guidelines & Plans

Northgate Guidelines and Plans:

Coordinated Transportation Investment Plan (CTIP)
CTIP is designed to identify current and future transportation needs in the greater Northgate area; to find ways to balance needs of autos with those of public transit, pedestrians, bicyclists; and to find ways to improve freight mobility as well as calm traffic on residential streets. Creating a more walkable Northgate Urban Center is the focus of an Open Space and Pedestrian Connections plan for pedestrian and bicycle connections created by the Seattle Planning Commission and the Dept. of Planning and Development.

Design Guidelines
Design guidelines for the Northgate Urban Center and Overlay District were developed in 2003.  They are intended to identify methods and opportunities for new development to make a positive contribution to the neighborhood.  They also aim to ensure that good urban design will be achieved whenever new development is proposed.

Northgate Area Comprehensive Plan
The Northgate Design Guidelines build on urban design-related goals and recommendations included in the 1993 Northgate Area Comprehensive Plan.  Neighborhood planning was an important element of Seattle's first citywide Comprehensive Plan, approved in 1994. 

In 1999, the Seattle City Council requested preparation of a matrix for the Northgate Area Comprehensive Plan to incorporate the Plan’s recommendations into the same tracking system used for the other neighborhood plans. The resulting Work Plan Matrix for the 1993 Northgate Area Comprehensive Plan serves as a long-term work plan and is an important tool for identifying activities that are meant to help achieve the long-term vision articulated through neighborhood plans. The matrix format displays key aspects of the plans, the City’s response for implementation, and timeframes. Matrix information has been put into a Department of Neighborhoods (DON) database that helps prioritize funding and future City actions. 

Northgate Open Space & Pedestrian Connections Draft Plan
The draft Open Space and Pedestrian Connections Plan, developed by the Seattle Planning Commission and the Dept. of Planning and Development, was released in late 2004.

Creating a pedestrian-oriented community and adding open space have been key priorities for the Northgate area for many years, as reflected in the Northgate Area Comprehensive Plan (NACP) and support for additional open space in the 2000 Pro Parks Levy. Council Resolution 30642 (adopted December 2003) recognizes the importance of focusing these priorities by calling on the City’s departments and the Planning Commission to produce a plan to “increase open spaces, create and enhance pedestrian connections, and improve the pedestrian and bicycling environment in the Northgate Urban Center.”

Northgate Public Art Plan
Part of the Northgate revitalization effort, the Northgate Public Art Plan is a framework to identify and define public art opportunities, and guide planning and implementation of public art in the Northgate area. Developed by Seattle artist Benson Shaw, Artist-in-Residence for Northgate planning, the Northgate Public Art Plan is the result of information gathered through Shaw’s work with the Department of Planning & Development (DPD), community groups, and several other City departments throughout 2004 and 2005. Commissioned by the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs and jointly funded by DPD and Seattle Public Utilities, the plan was released in October 2005.

Northgate Technical Urban Design Guidelines
The purpose of these guidelines is to ensure continuity, consistency and urban design excellence for the Northgate urban center, with a particular focus on the public right-of-way. The guidelines have been applied to the Northgate Commons/ERA Care project, the Thornton Creek Water Quality Channel, and the proposed development on the of the Northgate Mall property. Future additions to these guidelines will address anticipated public and private development along the Northgate Way corridor.

Last Updated: August 7, 2006