Lake City Neighborhood Vision & Strategic Plan

In 2013, BDS Planning & Urban Design began working in Lake City, a culturally diverse and growing neighborhood. Historically under-invested, the community has been the subject of a half-dozen neighborhood-wide planning efforts since the late 1990s. BDS worked with the City’s Department of Planning and Development to facilitate an Urban Design Framework (UDF), which resulted in a cohesive, engaged work group. BDS also worked closely with a volunteer leadership group to complete the Lake City Future First Strategic Plan with concepts from the UDF, which led to the strengthening of a neighborhood leadership organization called Lake City Future First (LCFF). BDS worked with LCFF to build a board of directors and set them on the path to long-term sustainability as an organization, including supporting a partnering organization, Children’s Home Society, in applying for a $100,000 grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation, which they received.

In 2016, BDS was hired by Children’s Home Society of Washington to facilitate a year-long neighborhood effort, building on this historical context. BDS produced Imagine Lake City Together, a vision for the Lake City community that was developed by hundreds of neighborhood residents, dozens of volunteers, and three dedicated organizations collaborating to lead the effort. Tools utilized for its development include an inclusive 29-person Steering Committee, a randomly selected resident survey, 11 facilitated affinity groups, a parcel survey conducted by volunteers, and a series of community conversations. The investment in Imagine Lake City Together paid off, and Children’s Home Society received another $550,000 for implementation of this neighborhood plan.