In 2018, Bellevue was selected to participate in the University of Washington's Livable City Year program. Over the 2018-19 academic year, students and faculty from multiple UW campuses and schools collaborated with city staff to consider ways to make improvements to various services. Solutions would advance the City Council Vision, specifically around livability and sustainability.
UW provided out-of-the-box planning and policy ideas for 30 projects, from a small business incubator to food truck permitting to neighborhood planning. Details about each of the projects, including the reports with recommendations, are available at UW LCY's 2018-19 Projects page. Other examples of Livable City Year projects include:
- A team from UW’s Community, Environment and Planning recommended policies and code changes to facilitate placemaking next to the city's vast network of trails.
- UW Urban Design and Planning developed a model of an image gallery permit applicants could consult for examples of construction that meets city code requirements and stresses livability for pedestrians.
- UW Landscape Architecture offered impressive ideas for a redesign of the Wetland Sun Terraced Garden at the Bellevue Botanical Garden.
- A team from the UW Industrial and Systems Engineering program developed a model to make winter weather plow routes more efficient and cost-effective.
City staff began considering the solutions suggested by UW in 2019. Implementation varies depending on the program.
Each of the projects fits into one of six strategic target areas identified in the council vision:
- Economic Development
- Transportation and Mobility
- High Quality Built and Natural Environment
- Bellevue: Great Places Where You Want to Be
- Achieving Human Potential
- High Performance Government
