Our Mission

Friends of Seattle is a civic organization for a new generation and a new future. Our mission is to be courageous when no one else will and to make Seattle the green, urban city we need.

We propose policy reforms, lobby elected officials, and endorse candidates for office. To nourish our vision and to build our community, we talk online about ideas and politics, and we hold events to socialize and discuss current events.

Our Vision

We are optimistic that Seattle can provide for the wellbeing of its current and future residents and can be a global leader, but only if Seattle fully embraces sound building blocks: dense residential neighborhoods, public transit, well-networked streets, bicycle infrastructure, pedestrian infrastructure, great architecture, parks, ecological (green) infrastructure, new technologies, waste reduction, recycling, energy conservation, local food production and consumption, local businesses, new industries, and good-government principles. See more information about our vision, which we call Progressive Urbanism.

Who We Are

We are a community of ordinary people who understand that human welfare, environmental health, economic prosperity, and social justice depend on the vitality of cities. At this point in our development, all staff are volunteers. Our mission and vision are based on the premise that Seattle's growth is an opportunity to create positive changes. We support the efforts that are underway to manage growth by improving the city's urban design and transportation network, yet we believe our city must take additional steps to achieve a sustainable future. We believe the solution to this problem is to unite the people of Seattle behind a common vision for a progressive city and to organize them for political action.