Urban Center Plan

Burien is part of a network of cities linked by employment, commerce, education, and culture, and influenced by many regional trends, issues, and opportunities. The Downtown Burien Regional Growth Center was designated by the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) in June 2005. Roughly centered on the Burien Town Square mixed-use development, the urban center encompasses approximately 429 acres.

The City has planned for future growth within the Urban Center, including recent investments in utility, street and sidewalk upgrades, and in land acquisition.

The center offers significant redevelopment opportunities and access to the regional transportation system via State Route 509, State Route 518 and Sea-Tac International Airport.

The Urban Center Streetscape Design Plan is based on the Burien Urban Center Plan.

What is a Center Plan?

The Burien Comprehensive Plan provides the vision, goals, policies, implementation strategies, performance measures, and maps guiding the city’s physical development and the provision of urban services.

A center plan, commonly called a subarea plan, looks at a smaller area of the city and provides development goals and policies specific to the conditions, challenges, and opportunities in that area.

Burien’s Urban Center Plan was adopted by the Burien City Council on March 2, 2020. The Urban Center provides guidance to inform how future growth should take place. Based on the vision, the Urban Center Plan presents policies and strategic actions to build on existing strengths and guide growth and change to reflect the unique character of different places in the Urban Center. These emerged from extensive dialogue with members of the Burien community.

Updated May 16, 2022