A Community Council Renaissance: Connecting Across Seattle

Over the past several months, the Leschi Community Council has been meeting with other community councils around Seattle—including those in Montlake, Mt. Baker, Madrona, Madison Park, Queen Anne, Capitol Hill, and Downtown. These one-on-one conversations have been both inspiring and energizing, offering a chance to share resources, lessons learned, challenges, and priorities. These meetings also give us a platform to discuss broader issues, share strategies, and explore ways to amplify each other’s events and advocacy work. Plus, we’ve picked up some new ideas from our peers about how to build engagement in fun, (hopefully) low-effort ways.

What’s been especially rewarding is seeing the unique strengths each council brings to the table. Some excel at community-building events and creative fundraisers; others have innovative communication tools or strong partnerships with local businesses and schools. Every community council shines in its own way, but we all share a common goal: creating stronger, more connected, and more resilient communities.

It’s been interesting to hear how other councils view Leschi. Many admire how consistently we hold monthly community meetings and how these meetings address civic engagement and meaningful topics such as public safety and emergency preparedness. They’re also impressed that our small but mighty team manages to publish the Leschi News monthly—a true testament to the dedication of our volunteers and contributors.

Another exciting trend we’ve noticed: across the city, community councils are making a comeback. In the past year alone, several groups have started up or been revived after periods of dormancy. It feels like a community council renaissance—a renewed spirit of civic participation and collaboration.

Beyond these individual meetings, Leschi is also taking part in larger gatherings that bring councils from across Seattle together. It’s heartening to see neighbors from every corner of Seattle working collectively toward a more connected and responsive city.

We’re proud that the Leschi Community Council is not just participating in this renaissance but helping lead it. As we look ahead, we’re excited to continue building these relationships, learning from our peers, and finding new ways to support each other—because strong neighborhoods make a strong city.

~Nikola Davidson