Privately Owned Public Spaces
What Is It?
Privately Owned Public Spaces (POPS) are open to the public, and include plazas, arcades, atriums, hillclimbs, and green streets. These spaces are allowed or required by rules in the Seattle Land Use Code that have been in place for several decades, and are generally located in Seattle's Center City. Other POPS may be open to the public as a result of a street vacation (permanent closure of a street). These spaces can be located in neighborhoods throughout Seattle, wherever a public space is created as a public benefit when City Council approves a street vacation. More information about street vacations is available from the Seattle Department of Transportation.
Find a POPS
There are over 40 Privately Owned Public Spaces in Seattle. As a member of the public, you can use and enjoy each space. To help you identify POPS, we have developed a logo, which is posted on site at most locations. These sites are mapped below, or you can download a PDF list of the locations. We update the list of POPS periodically as new projects are built.
Keep in mind that the hours of access may vary for different POPS, and certain types of activities may not be allowed. Also, some types of plazas and other indoor or outdoor spaces on private property are not POPS. They are not POPS if they are not required to allow public access and are for the exclusive use of tenants and guests.