> Programs

The Center is dedicated to improving the livability of Washington communities. To this end, the Center's programs will be focused on developing resources, cultivating community partnerships, organizing conferences and lectures, supporting student projects and conducting research. Recognizing that the term "livability" has many different definitions and interpretations, the Center's programs will be focused on how the fields of urban planning and design, landscape architecture, and architecture work within this broader context to address livability factors. The following are specific program areas in which the Center's activities are focused. As programs are developed further, more details will be placed here.

• Community Partnerships
• Seattle, Washington, South Lake
  • South Lake Union Urban Center Planning Studio(17.3MB)
  • South Lake Union Urban Form Studio (25.8MB)
• Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
  • Post-Hurricane Katrina "Terrytown- Building a New Vision (See p. 6)"
• Skykomish, Washington
• Shoreline, Washington
• Palmer, Alaska
  • Pioneering Palmer's Future-University of Washington Growth Study. Received an AICP Student Project Award
• Seattle, Washington
  • Open Space Seattle 2100
• Lecture series -The "What is Livable?" Lecture Series will host planning and design professionals, as well as academics addressing the general topic of creating more livable communities.

• Click here for more details
• Conferences

• CREW- Cascadia Region Earthquake Workgroup

• Livability Tours - visits to communities that demonstrate aspects of livability.
  

Research in the center is directed towards:

• Identifying, studying, and documenting aspects of livability in communities.
• Deriving principles of livability from observed experiences, as well as new approaches developed by professionals and academics.
• Making explicit the connection between decisions affecting the built environment and aspects of livability in communities.
• Reveal means of achieving those principles, and their connection to quality of life.

Developing a resource bank of information on livable communities:

• Including books, research papers, case studies, and articles, produced by the Center as well as from other organizations.
• Making available tools and best practices used and developed by design and planning professionals.
• Developing a neighborhood scale set of indicators with which to evaluate community livability.