Read about and apply for the paid opportunity to help us address our most pressing challenges.
Update | November 24, 2021: Watch the recording of the Nov. 19 virtual information session.
Update | December 3, 2021: Watch the recording of the Dec. 2 virtual information session.
Summary
- Community based organizations and small businesses: We are looking at you!
- The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and the Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) want to partner with community-based organizations and small businesses to develop the Seattle transportation plan and the Seattle Comprehensive Plan Major Update.
- Interested? Read more about exactly what we are asking. We will pay you for your expertise!
- You can apply to participate in one or both plans. Below, you’ll find more detailed information about both planning efforts, along with links to applications and other materials.
The City of Seattle’s Department of Transportation (SDOT) and Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) want to partner with community-based organizations and small businesses to develop the Seattle transportation plan and the Seattle Comprehensive Plan Major Update.
Back in July, we introduced the concept of the Seattle transportation plan (STP). Early next year, we’ll start the process of creating the Seattle transportation plan in partnership with the community – that’s you!
The STP will establish a renewed blueprint for our transportation system to address our most pressing challenges, organized around community aspirations and SDOT’s vision and values. We will coordinate with the update of the Seattle Comprehensive Plan to ensure the STP aligns with the City’s growth strategy for future housing, jobs, and community investments.
The Seattle Comprehensive Plan is a policy tool that will guide Seattle’s growth—from housing and jobs to climate change and environment, to transportation and parks & open space. The Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) needs your help to understand how and where Seattle’s communities want to grow, and to write a Plan that reflects this feedback.
The most important aspect of the City’s planning process for both the STP and Seattle Comprehensive Plan is collaborating with community members and organizations to understand the needs of city residents.
Community based organizations and small businesses: We are looking to you at this stage in the project.
You are some of the many engines that keep Seattle running. You have a deep understanding of the needs in your community, strong relationships, and do incredible and important work. We want to hear from you, and we invite you to engage your communities in planning for the future of Seattle.
Interested? Here’s exactly what we are asking:
What:
This is an opportunity to partner with City of Seattle on community engagement for major planning efforts toward a more equitable future.
- The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is seeking to partner with community based organizations to develop the Seattle transportation plan (STP), a 20-year plan that tells the story of Seattle’s shared transportation and public space vision with steps to achieve it.
- The Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) is seeking to partner with community-based organizations to create the Seattle Comprehensive Plan that will make Seattle a more equitable, livable, and sustainable place to live and work.
Who:
We are asking you to join us, especially if you are interested in shaping the future of Seattle, active in your own community, and interested in hosting events or engaging with people in your communities.
- You do not need to have specific expertise in transportation or land use to apply.
- We are interested in everyone’s personal stories about how they live and work in, and move around Seattle, and how they would like to see our streets and public spaces evolve to meet the needs of all communities.
- Any community-based organization that is a registered 501 (c)(3) or business (LLC or corporation) can apply!
When:
Optional information sessions will be held online on November 19 and December 2. Fill out this survey to get the invitations for the upcoming information sessions. Please let us know if you need an interpreter or translator for the information sessions at least one week in advance.
Timeline
- November 19, 1-2 PM: Information session 1
- December 2, 6-7 PM: Information session 2
- December 20, 2021, 4 PM: Proposals are due
- January 2022 – Notice of award.
- January 2022- January 2023: Community engagement and plan development
Compensation:
There are two levels of compensation. Engagement and information gathering is compensated at $5,000, and larger efforts to develop partnerships and policy recommendations is compensated at $30,000.
You can apply to participate in one or both plans (the Stp and/or Comprehensive Plan). Below, you’ll find more detailed information about both planning efforts, along with links to applications and other materials.
These two City of Seattle projects are related but distinct, and require meaningful and robust community engagement to create complementary plans to guide the city’s growth and investments. Together these planning efforts will enable us to think holistically about transportation and land use and how to achieve Seattle’s equity, safety, environmental, health, and economic goals for years to come.
About the Seattle transportation plan (STP)
The Seattle transportation plan will capture our collective commitment to create a racially equitable and socially just transportation and public space system that addresses safety, the climate emergency, and ongoing needs for transportation improvements and stewardship.
We will rely on community voices to guide how we address our greatest transportation challenges with a bold vision for our city’s future. We will listen to the experiences and needs of people who we have left out of planning processes—including Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities and people with disabilities, to shape policies and investments that get us to that bold vision.
Apply to support the STP planning process here by filling out this application.
Contact: Lizzie Moll | Lizzie.Moll@seattle.gov | 206-348-1729
About the Seattle Comprehensive Plan
Last updated in 2016, the Seattle Comprehensive Plan will guide where and how the city grows to add housing and jobs over the next 20 years. The Plan addresses many elements: land use, transportation, housing, economic development, environment & climate change, parks & open space, arts & culture, quality of life, and more.
Engagement with communities across the city will shape each phase of this plan’s development, consistent with OPCD’s Equitable Community Engagement Ethos. This Ethos prioritizes giving voice and power to communities, especially BIPOC communities, that have been historically marginalized, while also engaging all residents of Seattle in shaping the city’s future.
Contact: Michael Hubner | Michael.hubner@seattle.gov
Application Materials and Frequently Asked Questions
- If you are interested in applying:
- Fill out this survey to receive invitations to the upcoming information sessions on November 19 and December 2.
- Fill out the Seattle transportation plan application
- Fill out the Seattle Comprehensive Plan application
- Read answers to Frequently Asked Questions
- If you are applying, you must comply with the Mayor’s Executive Order 2021-08, regarding COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements. This includes submitting the City provided Vaccine Attestation form no later than the contract execution date. Read the Executive Order here for additional details, which are not covered in this blog post.
- If you have questions, contact us:
- Seattle transportation plan: STP@seattle.gov or lizzie.moll@seattle.gov
- Seattle Comprehensive Plan: michael.hubner@seattle.gov