Downtown Everett is entering an exciting new chapter. The Downtown Vision and Action Plan is a community-driven initiative led by the Downtown Everett Association (DEA) to map out the future of our urban core.This isn’t just a high-level strategic document—it’s a working roadmap designed to pair big-picture growth with practical, near-term actions that deliver real results.
Urban Design & Streetscapes: Enhancing the physical character, walkability, and aesthetic of our downtown streets.
Vibrant Public Spaces: Creating welcoming parks, plazas, and gathering places where people want to spend time.
Economic Vitality: Supporting local businesses, attracting new investments, and strengthening our commercial district.
Community Connections: Ensuring downtown is accessible, inclusive, and connected for every resident, worker, and visitor.
A plan for Downtown Everett must be built by Downtown Everett. Over the coming months, DEA and our planning partners at Perkins Eastman will be out in the community gathering direct feedback through:
Whether you own a local shop, live in the neighborhood, work downtown, or visit on the weekends, your voice is essential to shaping this shared blueprint.
The Downtown Everett Association has partnered with Perkins Eastman, a global architecture and urban design firm specializing in human-centered planning and vibrant public realms. Led by Susan McLaughlin, Principal-in-Charge of Perkins Eastman’s Seattle office, the team brings deep local knowledge and national expertise to Everett’s core.
The planning process will continue into 2027, culminating in the final plan deliverable in Spring 2027.. The final document will serve as an official guide for the City of Everett, local agencies, property owners, and community organizations to coordinate future investments, policies, and developments.
We need your help to measure public life in Downtown Everett to support the Downtown Vision and Action Plan! A public life study provides a data-driven snapshot of what’s working, what isn’t, and what can be improved.
What is a Public Life Study?
The Gehl institute of urban design research defines public life as public life as the “activity that takes place in everyday public spaces—on streets, in parks and plazas, and in spaces between buildings.”
Gathering data provides insight into how design, activation, social behavior, built environment, and urban form all influence activity in public space.
What does it involve?
Paired with another volunteer, we will ask you to observe two public space locations on Tuesday October 13 12:00-1:00pm and Saturday October 17 3:00- 4:00pm. Your role will be simply to count how many people use the space and classify their activities on a tally sheet. Your participation directly supports our efforts to make public spaces that people enjoy using.
How do I learn more before my shift?
Observational surveys are easy to learn but we want to make sure that you are comfortable and informed before you start collecting data. Please arrive 30 minutes before your assigned shift for a brief training session. If you would like to attend training in advance of your assigned shift, we will be offering the following online trainings:
