Ever find yourself wishing you could talk to some Seattle decision-makers directly? Well, step up to the mic — because this is your chance. 🎤
The Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development (OCPD) recently dropped an engagement hub for its One Seattle Comprehensive Plan, which impacts city budgets + policy.
In a nutshell, the plan is a long-range blueprint that encompasses big picture stuff like where to grow newurban centers, how to deal with climate change mitigation + ways to expand utilities to various communities — not to mention more public transit.
Light Rail expansion details may be covered in the One Seattle Plan. | Photo courtesy of OCPD
Whew, that’s a lot, right? But don’t sweat it if you’re feeling shy — we got you. Participating involves just afew easy steps. Let’s do this.
Start by taking a short survey ✏️ From now until the end of the month, all Seattleites can fill out a survey to give feedback on which areas the plan should focus on. Affordable housing? Parks + open spaces? Flying cars? There are no wrong answers, you can stay anonymous — and it takes just a few minutes.
There’s talk of making Seattle’s Cafe Streets program permanent. | Photo courtesy of OCPD
Carve out time for public chats 💬 Once the survey data is collected, OCPD plans to host more in-depth discussions starting in the next few months about specific topics that proved to be high points of interest. Subscribe to the mailing list to be alerted on dates + times. And put on your best Zoom duds, since themeetings will be mostly virtual.
Support community-based orgs ❤️ One of OCPD’s highest priorities is making sure folks that have previously been marginalized from city planning convos are front + center. Current partnerships include groups like the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance and Estilita’s Library.
All the groups have received a $30,000 contract to help co-create the One Seattle Plan’s engagement strategy — so show ‘em some love via donations or spreading the word.
Use the buttons below to rally all your fellow city planners.
Unity: A Concert for Ukraine | Mon., May 16 | 7:30 p.m. | McCaw Hall | Donations encouraged | The benefit concert includes Ukrainian mezzo-soprano Olga Syniakova singing her home country’s folk songs. 🎶
Putsata Reang and Susan Lieu Discuss “Ma and Me” | Mon. May 16 | 7-8 p.m. | Seattle Public Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave. + virtual | Free | The two authors chat about Reang’s memoir, which details her complicated relationship with her mother.
Tuesday
17th of May Parade | Tues., May 17 | 6-8 p.m. | Goes through 24th Ave. NW + Ballard Ave. | Free | Ballard celebrates its Nordic roots with a Norwegian Constitution Day parade, featuring bands, floats + Fjord horses. 🇳🇴
Comedy on Broadway: Open Mic Night | Tues., May 17 | 8:30 p.m. | Jai Thai | 235 Broadway E. | Donations encouraged | Discover some new talents testing out material — and maybe grab some yummy Thai food, too. 🎙️
Wednesday
“The Marriage of Figaro” | Wed., May 18 | 7:30 p.m. | McCaw Hall | $35+ | Acclaimed conductor Alevtina Ioffe makes her Seattle Opera debut with this Mozart classic.
Silent Reading Party | Wed., May 18 | 6 p.m. | Hotel Sorrento, 900 Madison St. | $8+ | The chillest shindig ever lets guests just sit down at the bar with whatever book they want while relaxing piano music plays + the lounge’s fireplace crackles. 📖
Storm vs. Chicago Sky | Wed., May 18 | 7 p.m. | Climate Pledge Arena | $40+ | Don’t miss what might be Sue Bird’s swan song season. 🏀
Thursday
Elmer’s Midday Lager Release | Thurs., May 19 | 5-9 p.m. | Figurehead Brewing Company, 4001 21st Ave. | Free | This rice lager was brewed specifically to pair with the soup at nearby food truck Midnight Ramen — so slurp up. 🍻
Dina Martina | Thurs., May 19 | 7:30 p.m. | The Triple Door | $25+ | This drag performance artist has received high praise from the likes of John Waters, Graham Norton + Whoopi Goldberg.
We have amonthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
Mall overhaul? An LA-based real estate company recently filed a proposal to completely transform Pacific Place, converting most of the shopping center’s floors to office space and bringing in new retail. Current tenants include Tiffany & Co., Din Tai Fung + AMC Theaters. (Puget Sound Business Journal)
Traffic
After a two-year trial period, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) announced that e-scooter share companies Lime, LINK + Bird will now be given permits to operate for 2022-2023. Each can deploy up to 2,000 vehicles in the city, with Bird as the newcomer of the bunch. 🛴 (SDOT Blog)
Coming Soon
Heads up, Belltown foodies.New restaurantLai Rai is on its way with plans to open in June at 2234 First Ave., the location formerly occupied by Local 360. In a job listing for a restaurant manager, Lai Rai describes its menu as a blend of “modern and traditional Asian fares.” 🍽️ (Joe Veyera from Factal)
DYK
A Seattle couple in their 50s quit their jobs and have been living aboard cruise ships for the past year — because an accountant told them its cheaper than a mortgage. The two have been to Singapore, Italy, Iceland + Australia — and they don’t plan to return to landlubber life anytime soon. 🛳️ (The National Desk)
Edu
Well, this puts some wind in our sails. The Seattle City Council recently secured $1 million in funding to help keep the Seattle Maritime Academy (SMA) afloat for another year. SMA is a one-of-a-kind career program within Seattle Colleges that allows low-income students to get federal aid.
Film
Start warming up that popcorn. The Seattle Center has announced the lineup for its free Movies at the Mural series this summer, beginning with “The Princess Bride” on Sat., July 30. Each flick starts when dusk falls around 9 p.m. + seating is on the Mural Amphitheater lawn. 🎥
Outdoors
This should make for some happy campers — King County Parks + Metro are bringing their Trailhead Direct bus service back this year. Buses will take daytrippers from the Capitol Hill Light Rail station to trails at Mount Si, Mount Teneriffe + Little Si from Sat., May 28-Sun. Sept. 11. ⛰️
Arts
Okay, computer — a techy, UW-based creative project called Data Epics tells fictional tales based on real info collected from in-home smart devices. With permission from seven Seattle households, the project’s creators composed 28 short stories like one called “Disaster Variations” inspired by someone’s Peloton. (Crosscut)
Cause
Like much of the US, around 40% of popular baby formula brands are currently sold out in Seattle. With many parents unable to find adequate supplies for their children, now is a great time to donate unopened cans of baby formula within its expiration date to local organizations like WestSide Baby. (Seattle Times)
Trending
Doing the wave? Out. Waving veggies? In. A Seattle fan known as “Broccoli Guy” has been rising in fame at local sports games, where he dances in the stands while wielding — you guessed it —large broccoli florets. The 33-year-old teacher said the greens are a symbol of his “joy and kindness.” 🥦 (Seattle Met)
Award
Last week, tech news website GeekWire announced the winners of its annual awards, presented to PNW companies + entrepreneurs across a range of categories like Innovation of the Year. Among the honorees was First Mode, a Seattle company that developed a hydrogen fuel cell generator for trucks. (GeekWire)
Community
Did you know that SEAtoday has an ecommerce site? We are revamping and looking for local artists to create some new goodies for Seattleites to enjoy. If you or someone you know would be a good fit, send us an email. 🎨
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Greetings, Earthlings. On Saturday, the City of Burien hosted its annual UFO Festival and Metaphysical Fair, which celebrated all manner of alien life forms with a costume contest, space jams + tin foil hats as far as the eye could see. ICYMI, a short film the festival screened called the “Maury Island Incident” is about a UFO sighting nearby in the 1940s.
#DYK that your photos and quotes could be featured in our newsletter?
There are currently multiple feedback avenues for city planning. | “Parks & Rec” GIF via GIPHY
Editor’s pick: If you’ve fully hopped onboard the giving feedback to Seattle departments train — choo choo — know that the One Seattle Plan isn’t your only opportunity.
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