How do Burien residents want their community to look 20 or 30 years from now? The city has launched a community-wide effort to answer that question and shape the long-term future of Burien.

All residents are being asked to help create a common, unifying vision for the city. The goal of the visioning effort is to provide the community with a sense of direction and a framework for evaluating future policy decisions. The vision that emerges will provide a foundation for upcoming city planning efforts in the areas of land use, transportation, parks and recreation and major capital projects.

Burien has hired the team of Brian Douglas Scott - Planning and Urban Design of Seattle, to facilitate a visioning process that will engage and involve citizens.

A 20-member steering committee began meeting in early February. Steering committee members represent the diverse Burien community. They include city council and school board members, business owners, professionals, retirees, students, and members of ethnic groups.

All Burien residents will get the opportunity to participate in the visioning effort by filling out a community survey or attending one of the several community forums are being planned for April and May. Adoption of the Burien Community Vision is planned for late June along with a celebratory community event.

Watch for dates and times of the community forums, and for the community survey. Citizen participation is crucial for the visioning effort to be effective, according to city staffers.

A special Vision for Burien website will be updated regularly with the latest information and will be used to gather feedback from the community. See www.burienwa.gov/ourvision.