Design Review Program Analysis

Seattle City Council issued a Statement of Legislative Intent requesting that the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) report on Design Review program outcomes, process improvements, and equity. SDCI and the Office of Planning & Community Development (OPCD) gathered this group of stakeholders who met throughout 2022. 

The stakeholders, SDCI, and OPCD worked on a Racial Equity Toolkit (RET) analysis of the Design Review Program. SDCI and OPCD will provide a report to the Council including the outcome of that analysis.

Reports and Studies

• 2024 Memo and Final Report to City Council
• Housing Price Impacts and Design Review
• Design Review in Other Cities Report
• Permit Timelines Summary Report
• Stakeholder Interview Report
• June 30, 2022 Update to City Council

Meeting Agendas

• January 18, 2023 Meeting Agenda
• October 26, 2022 Meeting Agenda

Meeting Recordings

• Meeting 1 - recorded 5/18/2022
  Watch the video
  Download the meeting materials
• Meeting 2 - recorded 5/25/2022
  Watch the video
  Download the meeting materials
• Meeting 3 - recorded 6/22/2022
  Watch the video
  Download the meeting materials
• Meeting 4 - recorded 10/26/2022
  Watch the video
  Download the meeting materials
• Meeting 5 - recorded 1/18/2023
  Watch the video
  Download the meeting materials

Training Materials

• Racial Equity Toolkit
• Building A Relational Culture

Meeting Dates

May 18, 2022
May 25, 2022
June 22, 2022
October 26, 2022
January 18, 2023

Stakeholders

The stakeholder group included affordable housing developers, market rate developers, design professionals, neighborhood organizations, and previous Design Review Board members. Stakeholders representing specific organizations are indicated in the list below.

Kate Smith, Housing Development Consortium
Chris Colley
Donna Moodie
Frank Miranda
Gladys Ly-Au Young, American Institute of Architects
Grace Kim
Hamdi Abdulle
Jamie Lee
John Feit
Justin Allegro
Maria Barrientos, Seattle for Everyone
Pat Foley
Patrick Gordon, Downtown Seattle Association
Roque Deherrera, Master Builders Association
Sharon Khosla
Tejal Pastakia, NAIOP – Commercial Real Estate Development Association
Todd Bronk, American Society of Landscape Architects
Todd Lee, Northwest Chapter of Urban Land Institute