Selected Projects

Austin is known internationally as the live music capital of the world, drawing people and artists from all corners of the world to the historic East 6th Street and the Red River Cultural District.

Managing Partner Brian Scott served as co-chair, lead facilitator, and primary author of a yearlong process that led to the creation of A 25-Year Vision for Central Portland involving more than 500 community leaders and 90 high school students. The resulting vision provided direction to support the City of Portland's decisions to make school funding, the health of the Willamette River, and diverse central city neighborhoods its top priorities.

BDS Planning, now Uncommon Bridges, in collaboration with Jackie St. Louis and Nissana Nov, designed and facilitated a community engagement process to inform stakeholders on how Arlington Drive can become the most valuable asset possible to youth in need as well as to the broader neighborhood of Eastside Tacoma.

BDS Planning & Urban Design facilitated a strategic planning and organizational development effort to reinvent the neighborhood chamber of commerce as the Ballard Partnership for Smart Growth. The Partnership is dedicated to creating a thriving environment for Central Ballard that supports the interests of commercial and residential property owners, residents, business owners and visitors. All stakeholders will benefit from the Partnership’s ability to advocate for the public services desired by the neighborhood, and provide a strong, clear voice at City Hall.

Seattle’s Capitol Hill is nationally recognized for its tremendous growth and popularity. BDS was hired by the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce in 2014 to complete Capitol Hill 2020 to embrace change and not lose the Capitol Hill vibe. With many opportunities to engage in this high profile neighborhood, it was important to focus engagement for Capitol Hill 2020 with those who could guide the Chamber’s evolution into a more comprehensive leadership organization. Since the completion of Capitol Hill 2020, BDS has been working with business owners, residents and organization leaders to agree to a neighborhood leadership structure and to propose a Business Improvement Area that will allow for a enhanced services and neighborhood initiatives.

Design worked with the City of Spokane to establish a Business Improvement District in Spokane’s East Sprague neighborhood. The district funds revitalization activities in the East Sprague historic commercial areas. The goal of the revitalization effort is to elevate the unique character of the district to foster a vibrant, pedestrian-oriented environment that leverages the eclectic mix of businesses and create shared places for community gathering.

As the lead engagement and facilitation partner in the development of Communities of Opportunities’ Commercial Affordability Pilot, we supported BIPOC-owned businesses facing displacement across King County due to rising costs and lack of access to capital.

Uncommon Bridges, formerly BDS Planning & Urban Design, supported the Office of Equity in the development of a guiding framework for state and local government bodies that provides guidance on compensating community members who share their time and expertise with the government.

The City of Burien retained Uncommon Bridges, formerly BDS Planning & Urban Design, to develop a comprehensive strategy to engage the residents of Burien in City planning projects and ensure that future City decisions represent Burien residents’ values and needs.

We served as the lead facilitators and engagement consultants for the City of Vancouver to create a new Culture, Arts & Heritage plan – the city’s first in 20 years.

In one of the first deliberate DEIA processes for a downtown organization in the country, we guided the Downtown Long Beach Alliance through augmenting its existing strategic plan with diversity, equity, inclusion, and access goals.

BDS Planning and Epiphanies of Equity completed a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Respect Assessment of the DEIR Leadership Group at the Washington State Department of Commerce. Commerce is a large and complex State agency with over 360 employees, five programmatic divisions managing dozens of community programs, and an annual operating budget of over $700M. BDS and EoE worked directly with a group of top Agency leadership (Deputy Director and Division Directors) as well as program staff who were collectively leading the organization’s nascent DEIR work.

Uncommon Bridges supported the strategic planning process for the Downtown Austin Alliance, which was completed in the spring of 2023.

BDS facilitated a year-long process, including outreach to widely diverse constituencies including business leaders, social service agencies, neighborhood associations, downtown residents and workers, government employees, and elected officials, as well as internal planning sessions with task forces, influential community advisors, and the DSA Board of Trustees. BDS designed the overall process, facilitated all planning sessions, synthesized issues, and guided the decision-making processes among key leadership. The DSA’s Strategic Planning Process identified four fundamental assets, including: a Stunning Natural Setting, Platform for Innovation, Super regional Center, and Arts & Culture.

BDS Planning & Urban Design facilitated the first strategic plan for Seattle’s Downtown Transportation Alliance (DTA). Formed ten years ago to launch a Transportation Management Association (Commute Seattle) as a partnership between the Downtown Seattle Association, the City of Seattle Department of Transportation, and King County Metro (transit agency), the DTA board decided to build on Commute Seattle’s success by expanding the role of this executive-level partnership into additional opportunities for public-private collaboration, including management of the public realm, major transit streets, construction mitigation, and regional alliances. BDS conducted an intricate series of key stakeholder negotiations at the executive and staff levels to forge a new vision and operating structure.

We partnered with DowntownDC Business Improvement District to support the creation of their 2023-2027 Strategic Plan and continued organizational development.

BDS Planning & Urban Design was the facilitator and technical consultant for renewal and expansion of the Downtown Everett Business Improvement Area (BIA).

Between 2021 and 2023, BDS Planning completed three efforts for the Washington State Department of Commerce, funded in part by the America Rescue Plan Act, supporting frontline Washington Homeless Service Providers experiencing issues of economic stability, primary and secondary trauma, and other workforce challenges like job retention.

In a concerted effort to address the critical issue of homeownership disparities in Washington, the Department of Commerce partnered with ECONorthwest and BDS Planning, now Uncommon Bridges, to create a set of recommendations, informed by technical analysis and the input of an expert work group.

An ongoing effort, Uncommon Bridges is tasked with connecting Indianapolis’ diverse communities, artists, creatives, and other key stakeholder voices to the development of the Cultural Equity Plan.

In 2019, the Mayor’s Office and the Office of Economic Development enlisted BDS Planning & Urban Design to provide key stakeholder engagement and consensus facilitation in support of developing a new Industrial and Maritime Strategy for the City of Seattle.

BDS, in association with ECONorthwest, completed a Strategic Plan for the City of Issaquah, Washington. This process involved extensive work with City department heads, six City employee work groups, a community leadership charrette, several focus groups, a community survey (with over 1,000 responses), and numerous City Council facilitations, including Council Ad Hoc Committees on individual goals with objectives, and actions.

Urban Design led an effort with CBE Strategic, IXP Corporation, and ECONorthwest in 2017 to develop a Strategic Plan that addresses priorities for the regional portions of the King County E-911 System and will help to guide the ongoing process for decision making, funding, and implementing the identified priorities over the next decade.

In 2013, BDS Planning & Urban Design began working in Lake City, a culturally diverse and growing neighborhood. Historically under-invested, the community has been the subject of a half-dozen neighborhood-wide planning efforts since the late 1990s. BDS worked with the City’s Department of Planning and Development to facilitate an Urban Design Framework (UDF), which resulted in a cohesive, engaged work group. BDS also worked closely with a volunteer leadership group to complete the Lake City Future First Strategic Plan with concepts from the UDF, which led to the strengthening of a neighborhood leadership organization called Lake City Future First (LCFF).

Uncommon Bridges, formerly BDS Planning & Urban Design, is currently supporting community engagement and equity advising to the Seattle Department of Transportation’s (SDOT) Levy to Move Seattle renewal package.

BDS, in association with Welch-Comer Engineers and E.D.Hovee & Company have completed a master plan for downtown Lewiston, Idaho. The process included analysis and recommendations related to the economic ecosystem, physical and built environment, neighborhood livability, and cultural placemaking. Downtown Lewiston enjoys a stunning riverfront setting at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater Rivers, but the commercial core was disconnected from these natural assets by dikes, railroad spurs, and inactive industrial sites.

Uncommon Bridges, in association with ECONorthwest and Arturo Vargas, completed a Strategic Plan for the City of McMinnville, Oregon: Mac-Town 2032. Our engagement included facilitating five focus groups in English and Spanish and two discussions between the City Council and the Project Leadership Team (consisting of City department directors and community stakeholders).

Since the firm’s inception in 2009, we have actively partnered with the Downtown Seattle Association and its Metropolitan Enhancement District, which provide place management services to most of downtown Seattle. 

The Oakland Business Improvement District in Pittsburgh, PA partnered with BDS to develop a five-year Strategic Plan for how innovation emerges and anchors a district. BDS designed and executed a comprehensive strategic planning process to significantly reimagine the organization and reposition it to better manage the expected dramatic growth of Pittsburgh’s Innovation District. Through a broad and inclusive process, the bold and visionary effort helped to build and sustain excitement and engagement in the neighborhood as it undergoes transformative change.

Uncommon Bridges, formerly BDS Planning & Urban Design, supports the Washington State Department of Commerce in establishing, managing, and convening a statewide Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Advisory Committee pursuant to the legislative requirements established in SHB 1724 (2022).

The Pike-Pine area is at the heart of Downtown Seattle’s urban core, and the larger central business district. This area is one of Seattle’s most heavily trafficked, but faces increasing and visible streetscape deterioration. The Downtown Seattle Association believes the Pike-Pine area should be the best urban experience in the country connecting the Waterfront to the Pike Place Market, Retail Core, Convention Center and our cultural attractions. BDS Planning & Urban Design facilitated DSA’s Pike-Pine Task Force to complete a strategic assessment of the area, and acted as coordinator and project manager for the consultant team of Gustafson Guthrie Nichol (Streetscape Design); ECONorthwest (Funding Strategy); and Downtown Works (Retail Strategy).

BDS Planning & Urban Design facilitated a two-year effort to expand and renew the Pioneer Square Business Improvement Area (BIA). The oldest BIA in Seattle, Pioneer Square’s assessment district had fallen far out of date with the realities of the neighborhood. BDS helped the lead organization, Alliance for Pioneer Square, establish a funding base to match its solid organizational leadership. The effort included outreach to each of the district’s 1,400 business ratepayers to establish and document support from large and small businesses throughout this National Register Historic District that has emerged from a decade of decay and neglect into one of central Seattle’s hottest centers of technology employment and a thriving restaurant scene.

BDS planning, in association with IXP Corporation, is facilitating a strategic plan for the Des Moines, Iowa regional 911 program in Polk County, Iowa. Key issues include regional interoperability, funding allocations, technology upgrades, performance standards, and inter-jurisdictional cooperation. Polk County has three PSAPs (Public Safety Answering Points), the City of Des Moines, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and Westcom.

In December 2019, the Port of Seattle Commission adopted seven guiding principles for public-facing biometric technology at the Port’s facilities. In 2020, BDS Planning facilitated an External Advisory Group to review and refine the policy recommendations for public-facing biometric technology at the Port’s facilities.

When King County voters elected to return the sheriff to an appointed position, the County Executive and Council established a Public Safety Advisory Committee to provide guidance on the qualities the county should seek in candidates for the new sheriff and for ways the county should improve law enforcement services to preserve and enhance public safety.

As our communities become increasingly diverse, place management organizations such as BIDs, BIAs, SBDs, EIDs, etc., are seeking to better understand the role that they can play in creating neighborhoods that are welcoming, affirming and safe for BIPOC communities. BDS Planning and long-time partner Jackie St. Louis, offer an intensive training and group process facilitation to support organizations such as the Ballard Alliance, SODO BIA, and the Alliance for Pioneer Square align their activities with principles of anti-racism and develop an equity lens to guide their future work.

In 2021, the Washington State Legislature passed HB1220, which amended the Growth Management Act in statute RCW 36.70A.020(4), requiring communities to “encourage affordable housing” and to “plan for and accommodate” housing affordable to all income levels.

In 2016 Uncommon Bridges, formerly BDS Planning & Urban Design, facilitated Puget Sound Regional Council’s (PSRC) Transportation Task Force in a data-driven, actionable conversation about the Puget Sound region’s current and future transportation challenges and opportunities culminating in a Transportation Futures Study.

BDS Planning & Urban Design acted as facilitator and project manager for the SODO Business Improvement Area’s campaign to reauthorize and expand its Business Improvement Area to include the entire area that is traditionally considered SODO.

BDS planning, in Association with IXP Corporation, facilitated a funding model agreement and capital priorities for Spokane regional emergency communications (SREC). SREC was formed in 2019 to provide 911 emergency communication services throughout Spokane County.

BDS Planning & Urban Design, in partnership with ECONorthwest, is facilitating a strategic planning process for the City of Salem. The City of Salem is undertaking a strategic plan to articulate the mission, vision, values, and goals of its residents, businesses, and civic leaders in order to more effectively serve residents of Salem. The strategic plan will chart a course for the City based on findings from an assessment of current conditions in the community, impacts of anticipated change in the region, and the perspectives of residents, community leaders and elected officials. This strategic plan has three phases: situation assessment, strategic plan, and transition plan. BDS is facilitating stakeholder charrettes, council work sessions, and two community events during this process.

Brian Scott moved to Seattle and founded Uncommon Bridges (as BDS Planning & Urban Design) in 2009 as an outgrowth of his role as lead facilitator for the City of Seattle’s planning effort on the replacement of the Central Waterfront portion of the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

BDS Planning & Urban Design led the public engagement process for the South Lynnwood Sub-Area Plan, which is expected to be complete by November 2020. In partnership with BHC Consultants and ECONorthwest, BDS is strengthening the City of Lynnwood’s engagement practice for the purpose of developing a sub-area plan that resonates with South Lynnwood’s diverse communities and lays the foundation for accountable implementation. A priority for this sub-area planning process is to build trusting partnerships with community groups through meaningful engagement. This work requires deep listening, developing culturally responsive engagement strategies, and paying attention to social dynamics within South Lynnwood’s various communities.

Since 2020, BDS Planning has been facilitating and supporting the Stakeholder Advisory Round Table (StART), which includes the Port of Seattle, the cities of SeaTac, Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park,Tukwila and Federal Way as well as Alaska Airlines, Delta Airlines, and the Federal Aviation Administration.

On behalf of the Downtown Seattle Association (DSA), BDS Planning, now Uncommon Bridges, facilitated the engagement of stakeholders within the Downtown Seattle Arts and Culture community.

Design facilitated a Citywide Vision and Strategic Plan for the City of Tacoma. Tacoma 2025 was a six-month process led by the City Council and City Manager and guided by a broadly representative Steering Committee of public and private stakeholders. Through a series of large and small community events, targeted stakeholder discussions, surveys, and an active online forum, the process engaged more than 2,000 Tacoma residents to express their views about the community’s vision, core values, and goals. The final product includes specific measurable objectives, with performance measures and targets for 2025. The consulting team for this project includes ECONorthwest, PRR, and CBE Strategic.

BDS Planning & Urban Design, in association with Jackie St. Louis and Nissana Nov, facilitated a stakeholder process on behalf of the City of Tacoma that ultimately resulted in the “Hilltop Economic Empowerment Through Construction Careers Model.”

We created training and educational resources to support local jurisdictions' implementation of recent amendments to the Growth Management Act. The updated requirements seek to identify racially disparate impacts, displacement, and exclusion in housing policies and regulations, begin to undo those impacts, identify areas at higher risk of displacement, and establish anti-displacement policies.

BDS Planning & Urban Design facilitated The Mountaineers’ Progressive Climbing Education Plan. This six-month planning process with The Mountaineers, an outdoor recreation, education, and conservation organization founded in 1906, produced a path for the future of the organization’s climbing education program. The process involved conversations with hundreds of volunteers and members from branches across the state, and focused on existing program review, issues and options. This process directly shaped the guiding principles for Progressive Climbing Education.

Between 2012 and 2015, BDS Planning served as the project manager and interim staff leadership for the emerging University District Partnership. This multi-faceted effort included a community-based strategic plan, recruiting a broadly-representative public-private board of directors, reinventing the neighborhood chamber of commerce, rebranding the neighborhood, and gaining widespread recognition of the Partnership as the go-to leadership organization for this vibrant and innovative district of entrepreneurs, major employers, talented workers, and diverse residents.

Urban Design served as facilitator and project manager for a two-year strategic planning and implementation process for Seattle’s University District. The process engaged more than 100 University District stakeholders, including businesses, property owners, residents, the University of Washington, social service agencies, and faith communities. Five working groups and a Stakeholder Steering Committee shaped the process, which included a Strategic Plan, Urban Design Framework, series of “Community Conversations,” and development of a long-term leadership organization. The resulting University District Partnership grew out of the neighborhood chamber of commerce into a broad-based leadership organization with a multi-disciplinary public-private board of directors and a sustainable funding base.

Design facilitated City of Seattle-initiated Urban Design Framework processes in three of Seattle’s most rapidly changing neighborhoods – Ballard, Lake City, and the University District. Urban Design Framework processes are the City of Seattle Department of Planning and Community Development’s neighborhood engagement tool to explore what type of development neighborhood stakeholders would like to see and to develop an approach for a subsequent legislative process. Generally, these processes serve as a precursor to zoning changes, as well as plans for green streets, multi-modal transportation plans, and other public initiatives. BDS’ role was to engage community stakeholders and facilitate consensus support for these city plans to guide infill and redevelopment.

BDS Planning & Urban Design facilitated a strategic plan and is assisting in ongoing implementation for Valley Communications Center (a 911 call center in South King County, Washington). IXP Corporation supports this effort with technical and operational analysis and consulting.

BDS Planning, now Uncommon Bridges, worked with the Washington State Department of Commerce and FORWARD to design an outreach and marketing campaign for the Washington Hospitality Grants Program to reach businesses across Washington State through direct outreach, partnerships with business organizations, email campaigns, social media, digital advertising, and radio.

BDS Planning & Urban Design facilitated board members, staff, volunteers, and members of the Washington Trails Association (WTA) to develop a five-year strategic plan. The resulting plan represents the combined efforts of more than 200 direct participants and 2,700 survey respondents. Over a six-month process, BDS helped WTA to develop their, vision, values, mission, goals, objectives, and key outcome measurements. The Plan ensures WTA will continue to preserve, enhance, and promote hiking opportunities in Washington state through collaboration, education, advocacy, and volunteer trail maintenance.

We closely partnered with Waterloo Greenway Conservancy, a nonprofit dedicated to the development and management of the Waterloo Greenway, to help the organization develop a detailed integrated strategic plan.

BDS planning, in association with IXP corporation, facilitated a strategic plan for Westcom in West Des Moines, Iowa. Westcom is a public safety answering point (911 call center) serving the Des Moines suburbs of Clive, Norwalk, Urbandale, Waukee, and West Des Moines. Key issues included the facility, organizational governance and independence, personnel relations, and technology. BDS Planning facilitated several meetings of Westcom’s governing board and strategic planning workgroups, as well as staff focus groups, and one-on-one interviews with key stakeholders, regional peer organizations, and executive leaders from each member city.

BDS Planning & Urban Design conducted a feasibility study for a Public Market and/or Mixed-Use Incubator for the City of Yakima. The facility could include a public market, commercial kitchen, and shared workspace, as well as services for emerging businesses. BDS led this study in association with ECONorthwest and Graham Baba Architects to engage the community and assess their needs and wants for a public market, review possible sites and design concepts, and finally analyze the economics of such a facility. The study was completed in March 2015.