CITY OF SEATTLE
RESOLUTION __________________
title
A RESOLUTION supporting the Uptown neighborhood and requesting that City departments and other parties use the correct name for Uptown.
body
WHEREAS, The City of Seattle is fortunate to be made of many distinct neighborhoods with their own sense of community and identity; and
WHEREAS, Uptown is one of the City’s oldest neighborhoods and has an inimitable cultural vibe and characteristics specific to Uptown; and
WHEREAS, Uptown is one of the six urban centers designated in The City of Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan; and
WHEREAS, as of the last major update to the Comprehensive Plan, the Uptown Urban Center is approximately 333 acres and home to some 7,300 residents and 15,000 jobs; and
WHEREAS, Uptown has its own unique mix of housing, residents, businesses, arts, culture, public life, parks, attractions, and public spaces that have helped shape it; and
WHEREAS, the Uptown Arts & Cultural District, created by the City in 2017 to help nurture and protect Uptown’s healthy and vibrant arts and culture, shares Uptown’s boundaries; and
WHEREAS, Uptown is home to the Seattle Center, all of its resident arts and cultural organizations, the iconic Space Needle, Climate Pledge Arena, the Seattle Kraken, and Memorial Stadium; and
WHEREAS, Uptown proudly and gloriously hosted all of Seattle’s fans when they saw the Seattle Supersonics and Seattle Storm win their world championships; and
WHEREAS, Uptown has historically been referred to as “Uptown” by residents, businesses, and local government for decades, as evidenced by buildings and businesses incorporating “Uptown” into their titles and official City documents; and
WHEREAS, as Uptown continues to experience economic and population growth, businesses are increasingly incorporating that neighborhood name into signs, titles, and documents; and
WHEREAS, businesses, consumers, visitors, and Seattle residents use online mapping and location services for wayfinding, travel, discovering new businesses and attractions, and connecting with others through social media; and
WHEREAS, many companies increasingly rely on and integrate location-based mapping and wayfinding data into their applications, further underscoring the importance of correctly identifying a neighborhood or community; and
WHEREAS, mislabeling Uptown risks confusion and inaccurate labeling for residents, businesses, visitors, first responders, and the thousands of people who move to Seattle each year; and
WHEREAS, online mapping, wayfinding, and location services mistakenly use other names to describe Uptown; and
WHEREAS, having online mapping and location services accurately label Uptown would go a long way in ensuring consistency; and
WHEREAS, names matter and correctly identifying Uptown promotes civic pride and a sense of place for residents, businesses, visitors, and the city; and
WHEREAS, the City seeks to reduce confusion by providing appropriate notification to online mapping, wayfinding, and location services; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE THAT:
Section 1. “Uptown” should be the City’s official reference to the area designated as the Uptown Urban Center in the City’s Comprehensive Plan. The City Council requests that all City of Seattle departments, where feasible, refer to the neighborhood as “Uptown” in documents, on websites, and in electronic communications
Section 2. The City Council requests that the Seattle City Clerk provide a copy of this resolution to Google Maps, Apple Maps, MapQuest, Here WeGo, and other online mapping and location services of the correct boundaries and name of the Uptown neighborhood.
Adopted by the City Council the ________ day of _________________________, 2021, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its adoption this ________ day of _________________________, 2021.
____________________________________
President ____________ of the City Council
Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2021.
____________________________________
Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk
(Seal)