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Everett · EVT-CP-2044 · Pages 57-80

Design and Development Element

The Design and Development Element guides the design of the city's built environment to promote human and environmental health, safety, historic preservation, and community character. It establishes policies for city image, districts and neighborhoods, mixed-use centers, corridors, sustainability, and historic preservation. The element covers 84 numbered policies addressing building design, streetscapes, public art, green building practices, and the protection of Everett's historic and cultural resources.

Community Design Environment Social Economy Governance

“Only 4 of 84 Design and Development Element policies (5%) include a concrete, measurable commitment.” Real Record SAY vs DO analysis · Everett Comprehensive Plan

About this analysis

Real Record applies the SAY vs DO accountability framework to every chapter of every Washington comprehensive plan we publish. Each policy in the chapter is read individually and scored into one of four buckets:

  • Measurable — the policy names a specific target, deadline, dollar amount, or action that can be verified later.
  • Strong — binding action language (“shall,” “will adopt,” “require”) without a measurable threshold.
  • Aspirational — encouraging or supportive language (“encourage,” “support,” “consider”) with no enforcement.
  • Monitor only — policies that commit to tracking or reporting but not to action.

The accountability score shown in the sidebar is the share of policies in the chapter that landed in the “Measurable” bucket. A score of 0–19 (red) indicates most policies use aspirational language without concrete accountability; 20–49 (orange) is mixed; 50 or higher (green) means the chapter is dominated by measurable commitments.

The underlying text comes from the official adopted comprehensive plan published by the Everett planning department. Scoring is performed by Real Record analysts using a structured rubric; the raw policy text and bucket assignments are archived in the Real Record civic data warehouse.

Read the full methodology, sources, and rubric at Real Record · About.

Goals (11 total)
  • DD-1: Design new development to enhance distinctive physical, aesthetic, cultural and historic features of its location.
  • DD-2: Building and site designs based on clear and predictable development regulations via a menu of options.
  • DD-3: Everett has a variety of welcoming and inclusive public and private spaces promoting health, happiness, social connection, and well-being.
  • DD-4: Everett is a city of well-designed, safe, and walkable neighborhoods and districts.
  • DD-5: Neighborhoods are designed to enhance human and environmental health and equity.
  • DD-6: Built environment designed for safety, equity, inclusion, and social connection.
  • DD-7: Buildings, streets, and open spaces designed for long-term resilience.
  • DD-8: Buildings incorporate a diversity of architectural styles and innovative technologies.
  • DD-9: Buildings are enduring and resilient, designed with sensitivity to people and place.
  • DD-10: New development is compatible with and uses graceful transitions between differing land use densities.
  • DD-11: Historic and cultural resources and neighborhoods are protected and preserved.
Stronger Policy Language (37 policies in this chapter)
  • DD-1: Maintain a continuous, consistent, walkable, and human-scaled pedestrian environment at the interface of buildings and the public realm.
  • DD-10: Manage all trees in public rights-of-way, parks, and other public properties, and expand the city's overall tree canopy, replacing trees which must be removed.
  • DD-44: Streets shall be designed for a range of users, for different ages and abilities, as well as for different modes of travel.
  • DD-80: Do not permit new billboards in the city and encourage removal of existing billboards.
Show all 37 stronger policies
The four examples above are a representative sample. The remaining 33 stronger policies are catalogued in the Real Record civic data warehouse and indexed by policy number against the adopted plan text. See how policies are scored →
Aspirational / Monitoring Language (43 policies in this chapter)
  • DD-3: Encourage opportunities to make indoor/outdoor connections and support retail or active ground floor uses in frontage zones.
  • DD-6: Encourage and strengthen small-scale commercial and residential development.
  • DD-7: Encourage building and street designs that respect the unique built natural, historic, and cultural characteristics of Everett's centers and corridors.
  • DD-17: Encourage the diversity of design in multi-unit residential developments, including provisions for diverse and innovative façade treatments and architectural styles.
Show all 43 aspirational / monitoring policies
The four examples above are a representative sample. The remaining 39 policies in this bucket use language like “encourage,” “support,” “consider,” or “monitor” — phrasing that does not create an enforceable commitment. See how policies are scored →

SAY vs DISCUSS: Did this come up in meetings?

Real Record has not yet indexed any Everett briefings tagged to this chapter’s topics. Browse all Everett council and planning briefings to see related discussions in context.

View Everett Briefings →

SAY vs DO: Where the Money Goes

Departments related to Design and Development Element in Everett — what the city actually funds, year over year.

Budget analysis for this chapter is in progress. Real Record has mapped 1 Everett department to this chapter, but the FY2006 / FY2025 line-item totals are not yet loaded into our civic data warehouse. In the meantime, browse the city-wide budget comparison on the index page.