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Central Area Design Guidelines Open House, September 26

Design Guidelines serve as a tool to establish a set of expectations, goals, values, and qualities by which to evaluate construction projects. They define the qualities of architecture, urban design, and public space that are used by the City of Seattle Design Review Program. Guidelines are intended to address how new buildings support and enhance the character of the existing community fabric.

There will be a final community open house to share the draft design guidelines document, as well as all of the work leading up to its creation. After this open house, we will finalize the document and transmit to City Council for consideration at the end of 2017.

Central Area Design Guidelines Open House
Tuesday, September 26, 6:00 pm
Black Zone, 2301 S Jackson St, Seattle WA 98144

Based on previous outreach throughout the development of the Central Area’s neighborhood design guidelines, below is an excerpt of items voiced by the community:

Context & Site:

  • Green Space – Incorporate landscaping, edible gardens, and urban farming opportunities that are accessible to the public.
  • Character – Retain, respect, and encourage the extension of existing positive attributes of surrounding neighborhood character
  • History & Heritage – Provide opportunities to honor the African and Black American presence within the neighborhood.

Public Life:

  • Gathering Areas – Incorporate accessible gathering spaces for community use.
  • Livability for Families – Provide safe areas for children to play and families to spend time together.
  • Streetscape Treatment – Allow space abutting the sidewalk right-of-way for businesses to utilize for cafes, produce markets, vendors, buskers, pop-up shops, etc.

Design Concept:

  • Building Layout – Smaller, broken up and varied building forms with articulated massing are encouraged to reduce bulk.
  • Transparency – Design commercial ground floors to be visually open and transparent, allowing for views in and out of the site from the public sidewalk.

What are Design Guidelines?
Design Guidelines serve as a tool to establish a set of expectations, goals, values, and qualities by which to evaluate construction projects. They define the qualities of architecture, urban design, and public space that are used by the City of Seattle Design Review Program. Guidelines are intended to address how new buildings support and enhance the character of the existing community fabric.

Questions?
Email Quanlin Hu at quanlin.hu@seattle.gov.