Community Character and Historic Preservation

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Working Together for a More Welcoming and Inclusive Community


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Help us make sure Redmond is a welcoming and inclusive place.

Our community's shared values will determine what Redmond will look like as we grow. 

  • How does the built environment (for example: roads, sidewalks, parks, public space, buildings) exclude segments of our community?
  • What could be designed differently to enhance belonging, independence, community connections, and pride?
  • What would make you feel more welcome, comfortable, safe, and included in Redmond?

Share words, images, or upload your own drawing or video to answer any or all of these questions on our LetsConnect site or grab a postcard from City Hall, the Library, or other local businesses.


multicultural family with disabled child on urban sidewalkCommunity members, caregivers, and service providers familiar with mobility challenges are invited to share your thoughts and experiences with us as we seek to improve the experience of all Redmond residents.

Equity in Our Built Environment 

Equity and Inclusion is a major theme of the Redmond 2050 updates. This fall, there will be a number of conversations about how we design and build our community is a way that is welcoming and inclusive for all ages, cultures, and abilities. 

Some of the questions we will be exploring include: 

  • What would make you feel more welcome, comfortable, safe, and included in Redmond?
  • What are things in our spaces and places we should change or add to be more inclusive? How can we physically represent our cultural diversity in how we build our city?
  • What could be designed differently to enhance belonging, independence, and community connections and pride?

Get Creative with Your Answers!  / ¡Sea creativo con sus respuestas!  

You can help answers the questions above by drawing, collaging, and/or writing your responses on postcards. Visit City Hall, the Redmond Library, and other local businesses to pick up a postcard. Participating locations include Eastside Beerworks, Ooba Tuba, River Trail Roasters, and Coastline Burgers.

Usted puede ayudar a responder estas preguntas mediante dibujos, un collage y/o escribiendo su respuesta en las postales con franqueo prepagado que se encuentran en el Ayuntamiento en el área de servicio al cliente (15670 NE 85th Street), en la Biblioteca de Redmond (15990 NE 85th Street) y en otros negocios locales. 

 You can also add your ideas on LET'S CONNECT


Inclusive Design Resources and Feedback

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Learn more about what Redmond has been doing to implement inclusive / universal design - including our workshop series on equity in the built environment.  


How Our Community Looks & Feels

Updating Policies and Codes 

The Community Character and Historic Preservation Element of the Redmond Comprehensive Plan has provided the foundation for maintaining Redmond’s distinctive character through infrastructure, programming, and zoning. The policies support design of new development that reflects the value Redmond’s community places on the community’s form and function. The policies address such topics as the design of buildings, streets, and pathways, public view corridors, and also the preservation of historic sites and structures.

Community character should reflect the Redmond 2050 themes of Equity & Inclusion, Sustainability, and Resiliency. Policy considerations for updates focus on the following questions:  

  • How will we redefine community character and neighborhood character to be more inclusive?
  • What are the design standards that are important to be included? What can be discarded?
  • What historic properties will be prioritized for preservation?
  • Do we want to continue to encourage preservation or have mechanisms for enforcement?

NOTE: This chapter will be folded into a new chapter that will be created by merging this chapter with the Centers chapter and moving all community design related policies from other chapters (Land Use, Neighborhoods, etc.).  


Inclusive Design Resources

Community Character Updates


Policy Considerations:

  • Redefine “community character” to be more inclusive. Consider especially updates to policy FW-40 and related policies.  
    • Consider revising policies that prioritize character over goals for equity and inclusion, sustainability, and resiliency.
    • Where policies have been or could be used to exclude segments of our community consider either removing or revising to improve equity outcomes.
  • Update policies for design standards to better reflect the themes of equity and inclusion, sustainability, and resiliency. 
  • Evaluate policies directing the City to balance care for the natural environment while allowing urbanization to ensure that they reflect current community priorities for equity and inclusion, sustainability, and resiliency.
  • Consider policies for building and site design standards that support Redmond’s environmental sustainability objectives such as carbon emissions reduction and greening urban areas.
  • Recognize, celebrate, connect with, and preserve Redmond's heritage, including links to Native cultures. 
  • Consider policies, site and building design guidelines, and partnerships to create Marymoor Village as a pilot universally design neighborhood and for additional housing for community members with disabilities.

Community Input


Feedback that helped in the development of this new chapter included preferences for:

  • A different look/feel for each center
  • Regulations based on outcomes (less prescriptive)
  • Removing policies that have been or could be exclusionary
  • Adding policy language on inclusive/universal design
  • Accessibility focus, ensuring we are planning for all ages and abilities
  • Integrating our diversity of cultures into our built environment
  • More emphasis on green building and design for sustainability and resiliency

Summaries of some of these community conversations can be found here:


Historic Preservation Updates


Policy Consideration:

  • Revise historic preservation policies related to prioritization of projects, as more of Redmond’s building stock ages and meets the minimum criteria for consideration.

Planning Commission Discussions


Community Character/ Design Policy Considerations (August 10, 2022 Study Session)

Land Use Policy Considerations (October 12, 2022 Study Session)

Centers Policy Considerations (April 13, 2022 Study Session)

First Draft Policies (September 27, 2023)

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Contact Us

  1. Beckye Frey

    Principal Planner
    Email Beckye Frey
    Phone: 425-556-2750

  2. Lauren Alpert

    Senior Planner
    Email Lauren Alpert
    Phone: 425-556-2460

  3. Kimberly Dietz

    Principal Planner
    Email Kimberly Dietz
    Phone: 425-556-2415