Bellevue received a few ringing endorsements Thursday for its approach to urbanization at the annual Bellevue Downtown Association Place Maker Awards ceremony.
Keynote speaker Rebecca Ryan, author of “Live First, Work Second,” spoke about trends in urban planning and what attracts today’s young professionals to the places they live and work.
Ryan talked about conscientious growth and building communities that residents can miss as much as their own homes during times away.
“My challenge to you is to build something the next generation can be proud to call home,” she said.
Ryan suggested development should occur on a human scale, with parks, public transportation, and vibrant, pedestrian-friendly streets that put people and their needs first. She applauded the city’s efforts to transform the Bel-Red corridor into a mixed-use area served by light rail and buses.
“This will allow you to leap-frog communities not thinking about transit,” she said, predicting that demand for transit-oriented development will soon outstrip supply.
Ryan also gave a nod to the city’s Commute Advantage program, which encourages downtown businesses to incentivize busing, carpooling and bicycling to avoid solo driving by employees.
Nearly 100 downtown employers have participated in the program over the past two years, and more than 10,000 of the roughly 40,000 people who work downtown now have transit passes partially or fully paid for by their employer.
Ryan used her address to encourage more parking for bikes, rather than cars. Bellevue has lagged behind for years in terms of accommodating cyclists with trails, bike lanes, and parking.
But the city is working to catch up. A 24-hour indoor bicycle-parking facility opened in September at the Bellevue Transit Center, for instance, and the city council has approved plans to add 80 miles of bike lanes, 90 miles of sidewalks and 20 miles of trail improvements in coming years.
Ryan also spoke about having diverse employment opportunities to attract and retain the “knowledge workers” who make up a growing percent of the emerging generation. She said a broad range of jobs will be needed to sustain dual-income households in which spouses often work in different industries.
Joshua Adam Hicks can be reached at 425-453-4290.
