Seattle process explained

The Seattle process or Seattle way^[1] is a term stemming from the political procedure in Seattle and King County, and to a lesser extent other cities and the Washington state government. The term has no strict definition but refers to the pervasively slow process of dialogue, deliberation, participation, and municipal introspection before making any decision and the time it takes to enact any policy. An early definition came from a 1983 editorial in the Seattle Weekly, "the usual Seattle process of seeking consensus through exhaustion."^[2]

"In its positive connotation the Seattle Way values popular participation, transparent process and meaningful debate. More negatively, it has been decried as a culture that values process and debate over results, that bogs down and can't get important things done."—Mark Purcell, Recapturing Democracy.^[3]

"The Seattle Way usually is defined as circular consultation reaching indecision. But it also consists of an uninvolved electorate and public decisions taken carelessly, without regard for experience elsewhere and unmindful of consequence."—Ted Van Dyk, contributing columnist to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer^[4]

The Seattle process, and claimed devotion to it, has been an issue in political races. In the 2001 Mayoral Election candidate Greg Nickels used devotion to Seattle process as an issue against his opponent, city attorney Mark Sidran, who promised a more decisive style.^[5] However, eight years later Nickels' style as Mayor would be criticized in a re-election race as top-down, autocratic, and antithetical to the Seattle process.^[6]

History

Prior to the election of Wes Uhlman as mayor in 1969, civic decision making was relatively quick and powerful groups could influence civic leaders without seeking wide consensus.^{[1] [7]}

Proponents of the Seattle process, such as former city councilman Richard Conlin, praised it as a thoughtful method of generating the best results at the expense of time.^[8] In return, opponents referred to Conlin in 2005 as the "Duke of Dither" for his devotion to process.^[9]

As the Seattle process became more drawn out, it has been criticized, usually by business interests as too slow and dithering. As an example, during the massive redevelopment of the Cascade and South Lake Union neighborhoods in the early 21st century it was criticized by Vulcan Inc. and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center that an in-depth discussion of all of the ideas would wear out the patience of other groups providing financial capital. Meanwhile, neighborhood activists complained that the proposed development ignored the neighborhood plans that were previously, and laboriously, developed in a consensual process.^[3] City neighborhood activists generally like the deliberative process.^{[10] [11]}

The process has also been criticized for bland results.^[12]

Affected projects

• Rebuilding Husky Stadium, doubly affected with planning for the stadium and nearby reconstruction of the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge.^[13]
• Rebuilding the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge
• Proposed replacement of the Alaskan Way Viaduct,^[14] which did not start deconstruction until 10 years after damage by the Nisqually earthquake^[15]
• Seattle Monorail Project, aborted after four public votes approving it having spent $124.7 million in taxpayer funds without beginning any monorail construction.^{[16] [17]}
• Historical preservation of architecturally significant buildings^[18]
• Skate parks and relocating public art^[19]
• Sports fields in Magnuson Park^[20]
• Replacing water towers on Queen Anne Hill, a process that took 13 years and $2.7 million just in planning and development^[21]
• Delays in revitalization of Broadway, the major commercial street of the Capitol Hill Neighborhood^[22]
• Delays in the urban village expansion project at Northgate Mall
• Transformation of the Cascade neighborhood
• Canceling concerts at Gas Works Park^[23]
• Construction of a third runway at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. The project was formally launched in 1992 and finished in 2008, during which construction costs rose from an initial estimated $217 million to $1.1 billion.^{[24] [25]}
• Completion of the "missing link" of the Burke-Gilman Trail^[26]
• West Seattle and Ballard Link light rail expansion: The planning phase of the project was delayed years and incurred over $30 million in additional expenses^{[27] [28]} after the Sound Transit Board voted multiple times for additional study due to community and political pushback.^{[29] [30]}

Methods

The Seattle process as an informal method values study, discussion and civic engagement. It will involve numerous stakeholder groups. It requires the community to present effective data, and for organizers to translate data from different constituencies into useful reports for decision makers.^[31] Using process to seek out consensus and hearing all opinions even extends to the corporate boardroom, not just government.^[32]

Methods of participation typically include council meetings, neighborhood forums, ballot measures, and marches. Stakeholder groups are all-inclusive and usually include citizens, corporations, non-profits, neighborhood representatives, and identity or issue specific groups.^[1]

Despite being called a "process" there is no definitive methodology to the Seattle process; in fact, while writing about Seattle taking four decades to build a light-rail line, The New York Times called it a "mysterious and maddening phenomenon".^[33]

Outside of the public meetings and methods open to the public, the Seattle process also causes delay while politicians either tinker with, or obstruct, proposals. Other cities in the area declare their ability to get projects because of the lack of Seattle process.^[34]

See also

• Justice delayed is justice denied
• Seattle Freeze
• Polder model -- a consensus decision making model used in the Netherlands

Notes and References

1. Book: Bennett, Michael . Economic Development in American Cities: The Pursuit of an Equity Agenda . 2008 . SUNY Press . "The Seattle Way, while time consuming, reflects the city's bias toward openness, accessibility, and citizen participation." . 115.
2. Book: Moody, Fred . Seattle and the Demons of Ambition: From Boom to Bust in the Number One City of the Future . 2004 . Macmillan . 66.
3. Book: Purcell, Mark Hamilton. Recapturing Democracy: Neoliberalization and the Struggle for Alternative Urban Futures. Taylor & Francis. 2008. 111, 119.
4. News: Seattle Way blocks transportation issues. Van Dyk. Ted. February 19, 2004. Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
5. News: Winner Emerges in Seattle Mayor's Race. Verhovek. Sam Howe. November 17, 2001. New York Times.
6. News: Making nice: Seattle mayor's style a primary issue. Tibbits. George. August 9, 2009. Seattle Times.
7. News: . The Seattle mayor's race - No time to plod . The Economist . London, England . October 27, 2001 . February 6, 2021 .
8. News: Seattle Councilman Conlin flaunting penchant for process . Jim . Brunner . Seattle Times . May 27, 2005 .
9. News: Monorail casts large shadow over City Council races . Joni . Balter . Seattle Post-Intelligencer . July 21, 2005 .
10. News: Seattle City Council forges dull legacy . "I am sure from the point of view of the downtown let's-get-it-done crowd, this council may deliberate too long. But the much-maligned 'Seattle process' may be a good thing,". Angela . Galloway . Seattle Post-Intelligencer. September 25, 2006.
11. News: City urged to pick up pace of decisions . "The argument that this is a 'Seattle way' and a 'Seattle process' is a compliment in many aspects, because the people here have a greater tendency to examine a project and get a better deal," said Kent Cammerer, a Greenwood activist. . Vanessa . Ho . Seattle Post-Intelligencer. March 2, 2006.
12. News: An outpouring of viaduct love . "I have a difficult time imagining that the famous Seattle process could ever come up with anything that exciting,". Danny. Westneat. Seattle Times. January 29, 2011.
13. News: Huskies putting house in order. Art. Thiel. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. September 27, 2006. If he waits until state and local officials and Seattle's process-constipated citizenry are done dithering about yet another transportation issue, Isaiah Stanback's grandkids will be explaining to their friends how Grandpa's dreadlocks helped him fly..
14. News: Viaduct choices are bad and worse . any more inane displays of the infamous "Seattle process" of decision-making. We've had enough of the latter to last us a lifetime and, at the rate we're currently going, that's about how long it will take to get this mess resolved. . Hubert. Locke. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. February 23, 2007.
15. News: Demolition of the Alaskan Way Viaduct begins. Scott. Gutierrez. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. February 18, 2011.
16. News: Don't undermine our best chance to fly past city's looming congestion. Let's get with it, Seattle. Three votes were enough; the fourth is a corruption of that "Seattle Process.". John. Coney. Seattle Times. October 26, 2004.
17. News: Kery . Murakami . Monorail agency officially dissolves; cost taxpayers $125 million . January 18, 2008 . Seattle Post-Intelligencer .
18. News: On Architecture: What Seattle buildings to save, It's worth preserving some of modernism's mistakes . Juggling all the demands within the Seattle Process may mean that these buildings get saved by default: The studies, hearings and referendums might roll on forever.. Lawrence. Cheek. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. April 29, 2008.
19. News: Once again, the Seattle 'process' gets us nowhere. Susan. Paynter. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. July 29, 2007.
20. News: A better shine for an urban gem. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. July 28, 2003.
21. News: Water tower design criticized . The project is a poster child for the "Seattle process," Rasmussen said: "It's taken so long and cost so much to get a product that isn't satisfactory to the community,". Anne. Kim. Seattle Times. July 10, 2006.
22. News: Raise the Roof, Broadway leaders had a strategy to jump-start the ailing business district. Why has it taken so long for the city to get on board? . "As usual we are getting bogged down in the 'Seattle process.' Call me in about a year or two, after Broadway hits bottom." . Amy. Jenniges. The Stranger. April 10, 2003.
23. News: Part of the process, or else . Angry about being left out of the process, Friends of Gas Works Park filed a lawsuit against the city and series promoter One Reel. . Nicole . Brodeur . Seattle Times. March 2, 2006 .
24. Web site: Sea-Tac International Airport: Third Runway Project . HistoryLink.org . January 30, 2010 . March 23, 2013 . Crowley, Walt.
25. Web site: At A Glance: The Seattle Process . Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce . March 23, 2013.
26. Web site: Burke-Gilman Trail Missing Link . seattle.gov .
27. Web site: Motion No. M2023-69 . Sound Transit.
28. Web site: Harrell, Constantine light-rail ideas add years, money to Sound Transit planning . The Seattle Times . 29 August 2023.
29. Web site: West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions Project map and summary Sound Transit . www.soundtransit.org . August 25, 2023.
30. Web site: Sound Transit delays making recommendation on expansion route to Ballard . king5.com . March 23, 2023.
31. Book: Whitacre, Paula. Community perspectives on obesity prevention in children: workshop summaries. Annina Catherine Burns. Cathy Liverman. National Academies Press. 2010. 59.
32. News: Seattle will extend a hand in greeting and raise another in protest for WTO. Lyke. ML. November 22, 1999. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Decisions are by consensus, and discussions in corporate boardrooms and council chambers can be interminable. This "Seattle Process," it is said, may satisfy everyone but pleases no one. "It's a very frustrating process. People talk forever. But the city does get things done, eventually," says Richard Morrill, a University of Washington professor who has spent decades studying Seattle and its demographics..
33. News: After Years of Debate, Light Rail Trains Enter Town. Yardley. William. July 31, 2009. New York Times.
34. News: Bremerton could teach Seattle a lesson about its waterfront. Cheek. Lawrence. June 23, 2008. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Mark another reason comparisons may be unfair: no Seattle Process in Bremerton..