Great Neighborhoods - Newport
Welcome to Bellevue's Great Neighborhoods Program
Bellevue is known for its diverse, vibrant, and welcoming neighborhoods. The high quality of life that residents enjoy is no accident - it’s the result of thoughtful and collaborative planning with the people who live, work, and play here.
The Great Neighborhoods program is the process for developing neighborhood area plans that reflect the community’s values and vision for the future. Neighborhood area plans inform future growth and change by providing guidance to city staff and developers about the kinds of improvements people want to see.
Neighborhood area plans are part of the city’s overall Comprehensive Plan, which outlines citywide policies on issues like housing, transportation, parks, environmental sustainability, and more. Neighborhood area plans are important tools for addressing the changing needs and conditions at the local level.
The neighborhood area planning process will develop policies and direction for:
Neighborhood Identity: Define the unique aspects of each neighborhood and develop strategies to highlight them.
Enhanced Community Gathering Spaces: Define and strengthen community hubs and “third places” that foster social interaction and connectivity.
Urban Design Framework: Establish guidelines to support neighborhood design, focusing on opportunities to activate spaces and improve the look and feel of public spaces.
Neighborhood Connectivity: Make it safe and convenient for people to get around their neighborhood, connect to transit and use other modes of transportation.
Public Realm Improvements: Identify needs and priorities for future improvements, such as streets and trails, through community engagement.
This is our online engagement hub. Here you can find opportunities to share stories, ideas, and feedback. You can also download documents, presentations, and other key information.
Join us in March at one of Public Space Series events. Come explore the neighborhood and engage in hands on activities as we make observations about streets, gathering places, trails and envision ways to make them more safe, fun, and welcoming for all. March 8, 22, and 27.
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What is Urban Design?
Share What is Urban Design? on Facebook Share What is Urban Design? on Twitter Share What is Urban Design? on Linkedin Email What is Urban Design? linkUrban design improves the experience, attractiveness, and identity of neighborhoods through their design. Rather than focusing on the design of a specific place, urban design considers how different elements throughout a neighborhood come together to create memorable places.
Elements of Urban Design (8.5" x 11" PDF)
Draft Guiding Urban Design Principles (February 27, 2025)
The neighborhood area planning process uses an urban design framework to better understand what community’s priorities are for accessing and improving neighborhood public places. The framework includes: 1) events and activities to understand and establish urban design priorities; and 2) maps and narrative to document and visualize where new urban design opportunities may be.
Urban design can help... Examples of places 
Community Gathering Spaces
- Foster a sense of belonging and community within these spaces
- Emphasize these areas as the “heart” of the neighborhood, including for special events
Schools, libraries, community centers, community parks 
Parks and Plazas- Offer opportunities for leisure, people- and nature-watching, and exercise
- Gives people from all backgrounds a place to meet, socialize, and build relationships
Neighborhood parks, pocket parks, playgrounds, sportsfields, gardens 
Streets- Enhance a street’s usability and visual appeal
- Invite more people to hang out on the sidewalk and interact with their neighborhood
Boulevards, local streets, sidewalks, transit stops 
Trails and Natural Areas- Highlight wildlife habitat, streams, and other ecological resources
- Gives people more physical and visual access to nature
Greenways, nature trails, wildlife corridors, wetlands 
Neighborhood Art and Identity- Make a neighborhood more memorable and unique
- Reflect the neighborhood’s community, heritage, and history
Murals, sculptures, signage, gateways
Sign Up for Updates
If you would like to receive email updates and invitations to iworkshops and events please enter your information on our sign-up form.
Who's Listening
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Email knesse@bellevuewa.gov -
Phone 425-452-6930 Email bbrod@bellevuewa.gov
Neighborhood Look Up
Are you unsure about which neighborhood area you live in?
Use our Neighborhood Look Up tool to find out.
ADA Statement
For alternate formats, interpreters, or reasonable modification requests please phone at least 48 hours in advance 425-452-6930 or email bbrod@bellevuewa.gov. For complaints regarding modifications, contact the City of Bellevue ADA, Title VI, and Equal Opportunity Officer at ADATitleVI@bellevuewa.gov.
If you have any questions regarding the ADA statement above or need help, please reach out to the City of Bellevue ADA/Title VI Administrator at 425-452-6168 (voice) or email ADATitleVI@bellevuewa.gov. If you are deaf or hard of hearing dial 711.
Title VI Statement
The City of Bellevue assures that no person shall on the grounds of race, color, or national origin (including limited English proficiency), as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise discriminated against under any City of Bellevue program or activity. Any person who believes their Title VI protection has been violated may file a complaint with the City of Bellevue’s Human Resources Director. For additional information regarding Title VI complaint procedures and/or information regarding our non-discrimination obligations, please contact the City of Bellevue’s ADA, Title VI and Equal Opportunity Officer at ADATitleVI@bellevuewa.gov.
For more project information, please contact Service First at 425-452-6800