South Lake Union
South Lake Union (SLU) Regional Center Planning
SLU has seen more change in the last 20 years than any other area of our city and this plan will explore what the future holds for this evolving community. SLU is the most diverse of all our Regional Centers and has evolved as the epicenter for Seattle’s Tech industry. SLU also has a rich maritime history and offers some of our best public access to Lake Union. Please join our mailing list if you’re interested in being part of this planning process.
Get Involved
Staff will be hosting multiple pop-up engagement opportunities leading up to a community workshop in September to connect with the community on the draft themes for the plans that will guide the goals, policies, and actions that are developed.
Friday, August 14, 11 AM-4 PM
South Lake Union Block Party, Westlake Ave N and Denny Way
Sunday, August 16, 1-5 PM
In front of KEXP, 1st Ave N and Republican St., Seattle
Thursday, August 27, 10 AM-3 PM
South Lake Union Express Farmer’s Market, 426 Terry Ave N, Seattle
Saturday, September 5, [times TBD]
Bumbershoot, NW courtyard by the KEXP Stage, Seattle Center
Visit our Artists' Installations!
Cam Smith, Jacoby Hinton and Alexandra Nason were selected to create art pieces to help engage the community via art to help inform the plans, highlighting the importance of the artist communities in Uptown and South Lake Union. View and learn more about the installations from August 10-18.
Traces, Cam Smith, South Lake Union:
- Thursday, August 13 at Amazon Spheres (6th and Lenora)
- Saturday, August 15 at Pink Elephant Car Wash (7th and Blanchard)
- Monday, August 17 at Amazon Day 1 Park
Traces is an interactive digital portrait installation. The screen will display a constantly evolving digital portrait generated by the people who interact with it. Over the course of the installation, the artwork becomes a living record of the people who pass through the neighborhood. Each person becomes one layer within a constantly changing portrait of the broader community. Alongside the visual experience, participants will be invited to answer a short set of prompts about the future of their neighborhood. These responses will be collected through a simple touchscreen or nearby paper interface and documented as part of the project.
Portal of Possibilities, Jacoby Hinton and Alexandra Nason, Uptown
- August 10-18 at Seattle Center, Lower NW Courtyard
Portal of Possibilities is an immersive public art installation that transforms community engagement into a journey of collective imagination. Composed of a series of custom-painted wooden frames that gradually shift in scale, the installation forms a vibrant chromatic tunnel — a symbolic passage between the neighborhood of today and the future the community hopes to create over the next twenty years.
Community Workshops
There are two in-person opportunities to connect with our project team September 9-10 to share your thoughts on South Lake Union and Uptown to provide feedback on draft themes, goals, and policies developed from engagement last May. All ages welcome with food and fun activities for all. Join us!
Wednesday, September 9, 5-7 PM
Discovery Center, 101 Westlake Ave N
Thursday, September 10, 6:30-8:30 PM
KEXP Gathering Space, 472 1st Ave
Seattle Design Festival
SLU planning began in August 2025 at the Seattle Design Festival where we heard from hundreds of you regarding your memories of SLU and hopes for its future. You can still engage in this ongoing interactive installation by leaving a voicemail with either a memory or a hope for what you’d like to see in this community in years to come.