Nov

16

Next Brownbag, McGinn’s Transition Feedback, and a Hearty Congratulations

Filed Under Elliott Bay Water Taxi, Great City, Helicopter, Puget Ridge, Seen around town 

Monday Morning News

Good morning, Great City friends. Due to Thanksgiving, Great City is holding its next brownbag this Thursday, November 19. Please join us. Also, stay tuned for a membership drive announcement later this week!

Urban Design Framework for South Lake Union

Thursday, November 19th
12:00 – 1:30 pm
GGLO Space at the Steps
1301 First Ave, Level A
Enter through door located about ¼ of the way down the Harbor Steps

For the past 10 years the City of Seattle, community leaders and property owners have worked together to implement a bold but flexible vision for South Lake Union – transforming it into a center for new life sciences research while enhancing its existing residential and business community, all anchored by Seattle’s new streetcar line. These partnerships have created 9,000 new jobs and 2,000 new housing units since South Lake Union was designated an Urban Center in 2004, while at the same time expanding small business and expanding affordable housing in the neighborhood.

Looking ahead, the City and the community are now developing an Urban Design Framework for South Lake Union – with the goal of establishing a shared vision and implementation strategy to guide the next wave of South Lake Union’s growth. The Urban Design Framework aims to define the key place?making and urban design strategies that will ensure South Lake Union emerges as a livable, dynamic neighborhood – building on the vision in its 2007 Neighborhood Plan, while at the same time seizing new opportunities presented by two-way Mercer, the North Portal project and a rethinking of traffic patterns north of Denny Way.

After months of intensive work, key recommendations have taken shape. Join Marshall Foster and Jim Holmes from the City’s Department of Planning and Development for an overview of the process, key recommendations and ongoing challenges of creating an Urban Design Framework for South Lake Union.

Mike McGinn’s Open Source Transition

Great City’s Executive Director, members of the Great City board and other civic leaders were invited by Mayor-Elect, and founding Great City Executive Director, Mike McGinn to provide some transition advice. We were asked to serve as ambassadors by reaching out to our networks and seeking advice for the incoming administration. Mike himself explains the intent here: http://www.youtube.com/user/McGinnTransition.

As some of the best thinkers on urbanism, land use and sustainability in the city, we wanted to invite all of Great City’s friends to participate. Click on this link and fill in the form: http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dDVMRWJfbnF3VThQYmVOWnFxcVBkaVE6MA.

The transition team has asked that we have comments to them by Monday, November 23. In order to meet that goal, we ask that you have comments to us by Sunday, November 22 at 6pm. We’ll then synthesize and compile those comments and provide them to the transition team.

This is your first opportunity to help shape the incoming administration. We look forward to sharing what you have to say with the transition team. Let’s push them to build the Great City we all know is possible.

Congratulations Are In Order

Great City would like to formally congratulate Mike McGinn (our founding Executive Director) and Mike O’Brien (founding Board and Executive Committee member) on their new jobs. Great City owes much to each of these visionary leaders and looks forward to working with the new administration and City Council in the years to come.

Great City would also like to issue special congratulations to the organizers of the Housing Levy, No on 1033, and Approve Referendum 71. As we stated in our Great City voters guide, progressive leadership is enabled when we give the government the tools to achieve our common goals of making Seattle a more livable, economically vibrant, and equitable city.

New Emails

As a household item, Great City has switched servers and we have new emails: Joshua Curtis can now be reached at Joshua@GreatCity.org and Paul Chasan can be reached at Paul@GreatCity.org.

Join Great City

To become a member of Great City, click here to see member levels and methods of payment. We appreciate your support!

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