Peer Networks are monthly meetings organized by our Capacity Building Team to bring together neighborhood business district partners. We use this time and space to do a deeper dive into a specific topic, share relevant City resources, and offer information that will support organizational capacity, vibrancy, and core service delivery in neighborhood business districts. Additionally, they also create opportunities for partners to connect with one another to share learnings and best practices from their respective neighborhood business districts.
We organized the July Peer Network in partnership with the Rainier Beach Action Coalition. RBAC is exploring the possibility of becoming a formal Business Improvement Area. Representatives joined us from the Seattle Police Department, Department of Neighborhoods, Visit Seattle, Uncommon Bridges, and neighborhood representatives from RBAC, Alliance for Pioneer Square, Central Area Collaborative, Chinatown-International District BIA, Essential Southeast Seattle, SODO BIA, and West Seattle Junction.
The meeting began with a walking tour of Rainier Beach’s business areas led by Judy Jones from RBAC. During the tour, she shared the history of the neighborhood, highlighted joint efforts made by the neighborhood and the City to reduce crime, improve public safety, attract business, and fill vacancies.
As the group of about 25 people made their way back to the RBAC office building, they stopped to also tour the RBAC Food Innovation Center – a food hub open to everyone, regardless of their income, providing a space to enjoy and learn about healthy food.
Once inside the RBAC office, the meeting shifted to a panel discussion with our office, RBAC, SPD, and Visit Seattle. The group shared observations from the walking tour, analyzing it through the lens of CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) principles, as well as media engagement strategies, social media use, and the importance of partnerships and community engagement.
To learn more about our work with business districts across the City, visit https://www.seattle.gov/economic-development/business-districts.