Our designated Urban Centers – Downtown, Uptown, South Lake Union, Capitol Hill/First Hill, University District, and Northgate – are home to a significant share of Seattle’s residents and workers. We are beginning the process of planning for each of our centers toward becoming more equitable, vital, and resilient places in the future, beginning with Downtown. 

Downtown’s urban center includes many neighborhoods: Chinatown, Japantown, Filipino Town, Little Saigon, Pioneer Square, Belltown, Denny Triangle, and Commercial Core—each home to many communities, businesses, and identities. These centers will continue to play a critical role in accommodating growth over the next 20 years. 

We have issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for consultant services for the engagement, policy and plan development of these centers. The specific objective of this contract is to conduct community engagement emphasizing racial equity to develop vision and policies and ultimately produce a Downtown Subarea Plan. 

The engagement process would focus on those most often underrepresented in decision-making processes, including Black, Indigenous, and people of color, people with low English language proficiency, youth, people with low access to technology, and those who have experienced displacement. 

This work will be conducted in collaboration with a technical team. The vision and goals developed through this contract will inform the technical studies and evaluation methods. In turn, the results of the technical studies will allow for an informed engagement process. 

The submission deadline is January 18, 2023. For more information, email Magda Hogness: magda.hogness@seattle.gov. 

The full RFP and associated documents can be viewed and downloaded here.