Center City Seattle 
Mayor Nickels' "Center City Seattle" strategy focuses on encouraging economic growth, transportation, new housing and great urban neighborhoods in Seattle's downtown core and the nine centrally located neighborhoods immediately around it. 

Historic Preservation 
Sustainability, green buildings, climate change and energy efficiency are all terms we hear and read about. But, how does the drive to adapt our built environment to "green building" standards affect the future of our historic properties? The New Pathways Conference, to be held April 14 & 15 in Seattle, will try to answer questions about how historic rehabilitation projects can successfully comply with local building codes and green building rating systems (such as LEED), and still meet the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. The target audience includes building code officials, green building design proponents, designers/architects, and preservation consultants. Click here to read a news story.

Housing for Seattle's Future 
Seattle’s booming economy and healthy real estate market drive an increasing need for housing. To help address that need, DPD administers building standards that protect neighborhood character while allowing new development.

Industrial Lands 
In 2006, DPD began conducting research to identify the key issues facing industrial businesses in the city, to see how other cities have addressed similar issues, and to work with the community to develop approaches that can help Seattle meet its objectives for industrial land.

Livable South Downtown 
DPD is initiating a planning effort to focus on the neighborhoods of South Downtown as part of the Mayor’s "Center City Seattle" strategy.

Neighborhood Business District Strategy 
In an effort to stimulate and enliven Seattle's neighborhood business districts the City is proposing a new strategy to reflect changing conditions and neighborhood plan goals.

Neighborhood Main Street Mapping Project 
The Neighborhood Main Street Mapping Project will identify specific locations for Pedestrian Zones to be designated in Seattle’s neighborhood business districts. 

Northgate Revitalization 
Work is now underway to revitalize Seattle's Northgate urban center. This project is part of Mayor Nickels' initiative to get Northgate moving.

Peat Settlement-prone Areas 
The City of Seattle is proposing new regulations for areas of the city that are prone to ground settlement due to subsurface peat deposits.

Pike/Pine Conservation Overlay District
Councilmember Tom Rasmussen recently sponsored a project in the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) to address concerns about the loss of neighborhood character in Pike/Pine due to redevelopment. The study is based on the recommendations in the Pike/Pine Neighborhood Plan.

Pioneer Square: Structural Additions to Historic Buildings
DPD is proposing Land Use Code amendments to address structural additions to existing historic buildings in Pioneer Square that exceed the maximum height limit.

Pioneer Square: Rooftop Features
This Land Use Code amendment allows enclosed recreation areas on new structures in Pioneer Square to exceed the height limit, if the structure also includes on the roof a source of renewable electrical energy (such as wind turbines or photo-voltaic cells) supplying a portion of the building's demand for electricity. (PDF)

Planning Exhibit 
The Planning Exhibit conveys the physical transformation of the city as it happens and profile some of the most compelling developments now in the planning stages.

Side Sewer Revisions
The Side Sewer Code (Seattle Municipal Code 21.16) and its accompanying Director’s Rule (DR) address the design, construction and permitting requirements and regulations for side sewer work in the City of Seattle.

Sidewalks Improvement Initiative
The goal of this initiative is to expand and improve the current inventory of sidewalks into a safe, contiguous and geographically-appropriate pedestrian network throughout the city.

South Lake Union Neighborhood Plan Update
DPD planners are working with the South Lake Union neighborhood to update the South Lake Union neighborhood plan.

Unreinforced Masonry Buidlings (URMs)
The City of Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development (DPD) briefed City Council, in May 2008, on possible new requirements for the city’s unreinforced masonry buildings (URM’s).  The briefing included information from a recently completed study by the Reid-Middleton engineering firm, commissioned by the city, which estimates there are up to 1000 URM’s in the city, most of which have not been seismically retrofitted.

Updating Neighborhood Plans/Station Area Planning
Executive staff and the City Council are currently discussing the process to follow for updating neighborhood plans. 

Waterfront 
A once-in-a-century opportunity to create a new front porch for the city.