Livability Standards Have Arrived in the Pacific Northwest

"Bellevue has been chugging away on a Downtown Livability Initiative for its business, retail, and housing core over the past four years," reports Stephen Fesler. The process began in 2013 with a Citizens Advisory Committee and ended recently when the city adopted a set of final land use code changes.

The changes include "a broad spectrum of recommendations related to public open space, design guidelines, public amenities, pedestrian environment, building form, and parking," explains Fesler, who proceeds to detail some of the new standard's wonky approaches to livability. So, if you're interested in how regulating tower floorplates and upper level stepbacks could have an effect on the livability of a downtown area, this is the article for you.

There are also sections on sidewalk widths, street trees, and public realm quality if that's more your speed.