Jump to content

Peter Steinbrueck

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Peter Steinbrueck
Peter Steinbrueck, 2017
Member of the Seattle Port Commission
Position 4
In office
January 1, 2018 – January 1, 2022
Preceded byTom Albro
Succeeded byToshiko Grace Hasegawa
President of the Seattle City Council
In office
January 3, 2002 – January 3, 2004
Preceded byMargaret Pageler
Succeeded byJan Drago
Member of the Seattle City Council,
Position 3
In office
November 4, 1997 – January 1, 2008
Preceded byRichard McIver
Succeeded byBruce Harrell
Personal details
Born (1957-10-14) October 14, 1957 (age 67)
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
RelationsVictor Steinbrueck (father)
Children2
EducationLakeside School
Alma materBowdoin College (BA)
University of Washington (MArch)
OccupationArchitect, politician

Peter Steinbrueck (born October 14, 1957) is an American architect and politician from Seattle, Washington. He is the principal and founder of Steinbrueck Urban Strategies and was a member of the Seattle City Council from 1997 to 2008. He also was a Seattle Port Commissioner from 2018 to 2022.

Early life and education

[edit]

Steinbrueck was born and raised in Seattle and is the son of noted architect Victor Steinbrueck (1911–1985) and artist Elaine Pearl Worden.[1] His parents divorced when he was young and he would live with his mother but spend time with his dad at protests to save Pike Place Market.[2][3] He graduated from Lakeside School, received his bachelor of arts degree in government from Bowdoin College, and a master of architecture degree from the University of Washington College of Built Environments.[2][3][4]

In the 1980s and '90s, Steinbrueck was a civil activist as a leading advocate and author of the Citizens Alternative Plan, focusing on limiting downtown building heights.[2][3][5] The CAP campaign was partially fueled by the failure to preserve Westlake Park as open space, which was supported by his father Victor before he died in 1984.[5]The CAP initiative came to the city for a vote and passed with 62% support, but the council put some restrictions on the initiative to protect it from court challenges.[6]

Political career

[edit]

Seattle city council

[edit]

Steinbrueck was a Seattle City Council member, first elected to the council on November 4, 1997, and immediately sworn in to fill the unfinished term of John Manning.[7] He ran for re-election in 1999 and 2003 winning both elections with 80% of the vote.[2][8] He served as chair of the Housing and Human Services Committee in his first four years on the council, later the Parks, Education, and Libraries Committee, and in his final four years, he chaired the Urban Development and Planning Committee, served as council president from 2002 to 2003.[4]

Over his tenure, Steinbrueck led legislation that focused on early education, the environment, homeless services, housing, and historic preservation.[4][9] On the environment, he developed legislation creating the nation's first law requiring a LEED Silver rating for public buildings and separate legislation protecting the Cedar River watershed.[2][4] He also used his experience as an architect in the design and development of public buildings, such as Seattle City Hall and the Seattle Central Library.[4] He also passed legislation that restored funding for homelessness services, funded creation of low-income housing, and double fees on downtown developers for an affordable housing fund.[9]

In 2007, Steinbrueck announced that he would not seek reelection.[2][9]

Mayoral election

[edit]

In late 2012, Steinbrueck announced his candidacy for Mayor of Seattle in the 2013 election.[10] He focused his campaign on public safety, with more police in parks with high crime and other police reform, and on infrastructure and urban planning.[11][12] In the August primary election, Steinbrueck came in third with 16% of the vote and did not advance to the general election.[13]

Port of Seattle commissioner

[edit]

On November 7, 2017, Steinbrueck was elected as Seattle Port Commissioner, Position 4.[14]

Peter Steinbrueck Port of Seattle Commission Pier 69 Seattle with ships in background
Peter Steinbrueck Port of Seattle Commission Pier 69

Steinbrueck served one term on the Port of Seattle Commission beginning in 2018, where he is credited with creating the Port's $20 million South King County Community Fund.[15] Steinbrueck authored a motion passed by the full Commission developing a task force on Policing and Civil Rights that examined Port Police hiring, training, promotions, and the use of force.[16] Steinbrueck was President of the Commission during the Port's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and successfully lead the organization to financial stability without staff layoffs as Port revenues reduced dramatically with flight cancelations and the cancelation of the cruise season.[17][18][19]

In 2021, Steinbrueck ran for reelection and lost to Toshiko Grace Hasegawa, the executive director of the Washington State Commission on Asian-Pacific American Affairs, 45% to 54%.[20][21]

Urbanist activities

[edit]

In 2007, after leaving his City Council position, Steinbrueck founded his firm, Steinbrueck Urban Strategies, an urban planning, urban sustainability, and urban design consulting practice.[2][4][9][22] He has been a visiting instructor at the University of Washington’s College of the Built Environments and is a frequent speaker, commentator, and writer on the emerging framework for advancing the environmental sustainability of cities and regions. In 2009, Steinbrueck was named a Loeb Fellow in the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University, where he completed the academic year 2009-10 of independent research focused on the environment, climate change, and urban sustainability in the United States.[4][22] Steinbrueck is a Harvard Center for the Environment's Working Group for Sustainable Cities member.

Awards and recognition

[edit]
Steinbrueck at Seattle's Market Park in 1984

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) recognized Steinbrueck with its Young Architects Award in 1999 for his public and civic contributions affecting affordable housing, homelessness, civic design, historic preservation, and the environment.[23] In 2006, the AIA elevated him to membership in its College of Fellows for his achievements in public office and contributions to the profession and society.[24] In 2002, Steinbrueck received the Public Sector Achievement Award from the National Alliance to End Homelessness for his commitment to reducing and preventing homelessness through systematic change.[25] In 2012, Steinbrueck received the U.S. Federal Executives Board's Outstanding Public Service Award.

Other local, state, and national organizations that have honored him include th Seattle Human Services Coalition (Stewardship Award, 2006), Seattle magazine's Most Influential People (2006), and the Washington State Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (Outstanding Career Achievement in Historic Preservation, 2008).[1][26][27][28]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Peter Steinbrueck (Architect, Urban Planner)". Pacific Coast Architecture Database. University of Washington. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Pian Chan, Sharon (December 28, 2007). "What's next for Peter Steinbrueck?". The Seattle Times. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Mulady, Kathy; Lewis, Mike (March 2, 2007). "Activist doesn't fall far from the tree". Seattle Post Intelligencer. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Peter Steinbrueck Records, 1989-2007". Archive West. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Wilma, David; Crowley, Walt (September 5, 2001). "Citizens' Alternative Plan, which sets growth limits for downtown Seattle, wins at the polls on May 16, 1989". HistoryLink. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  6. ^ Nelson, Robert (May 31, 1989). "COUNCIL TABLES ATTEMPT TO INCORPORATE CAP INTO CITY LAW". The Seattle Times. newsbank.com. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  7. ^ Nelson, Robert T. (November 5, 1997). "Seattle City Council -- Longtime Activists Elected". The Seattle Times. p. B1. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  8. ^ "General and Special Elections". Seattle Municipal Archives. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d Gillis, Cydney (December 26, 2007). "Peter Steinbrueck Leaves Office". Real Change News. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  10. ^ Heffter, Emily (December 19, 2012). "Peter Steinbrueck to announce run for Seattle mayor". The Seattle Times. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  11. ^ Holden, Dominic (December 18, 2012). "Peter Steinbrueck Is Running for Mayor". The Stranger. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  12. ^ Porter, Essex (July 29, 2013). "Former Seattle Councilman Peter Steinbrueck runs for mayor". KIRO7. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  13. ^ "August 6, 2013 primary election results". King County Elections. August 20, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  14. ^ Rosenberg, Mike (November 7, 2017). "Port of Seattle: Stephanie Bowman and Peter Steinbrueck win". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  15. ^ "South King County Community Impact Fund Environmental Grants Program". Port of Seattle. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  16. ^ "Port of Seattle Launches Review of its Police Department". The Maritime Executive. July 16, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  17. ^ "Commission President Steinbrueck Congratulates President-elect Biden and Vice-President-elect Harris". Port of Seattle Newsroom. November 9, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  18. ^ "Equity in COVID-19 Response, Principles & Potential Strategies" (PDF). Port of Seattle. April 28, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  19. ^ "Steinbrueck Year End and Farewell". Port of Seattle Commission Blog. December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  20. ^ "November 02, 2021" (PDF). King County Elections. November 22, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  21. ^ Santos, Melissa (November 2, 2021). "Dow Constantine wins re-election as King County executive, Lambert loses seat". Cascade PBS. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  22. ^ a b "Peter Steinbrueck". LOEB Fellowship. Harvard University. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  23. ^ AIA Young Architects Award 1999: Peter Steinbrueck AIA, AIA Seattle, prepared May 1999, updated September 2005. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
  24. ^ 2017 AIA College of Fellows History & Directory. p.392. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  25. ^ Award Ceremony Honors Advocates for the Homeless. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  26. ^ Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  27. ^ Seattle Human Services Coalition, 30th Anniversary Celebration. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  28. ^ Sanders, Eli (April 17, 2009). "Steinbrueck to Harvard (Not City Hall)". The Stranger. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Peter_Steinbrueck&oldid=1252389701"