Peter Steinbrueck (born October 14, 1957) is an American architect and politician from
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region ...
. He is the principal and founder of Steinbrueck Urban Strategies and was a
city councilmember from 1997 to 2008. He also previously served as a
Seattle Port Commissioner from 2018 to 2022.
Early life and education
Steinbrueck was born and raised in
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, and is the son of noted
architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
Victor Steinbrueck
Victor Eugene Steinbrueck (December 15, 1911 - February 14, 1985) was an American architect, best known for his efforts to preserve Seattle's Pioneer Square and Pike Place Market. He authored several books and was also a University of Washingt ...
(1911–1985) and artist Elaine Pearl Worden. 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
The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington.
Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattl ...
College of Built Environments. Before becoming an architect, he began his early working life at age 16 as a skilled carpenter, and later a building contractor. He is a distinguished Harvard Loeb Fellow with Graduate School of Design (2010).
Political activities
Steinbrueck was a member of the
Seattle City Council
The Seattle City Council is the legislative body of the city of Seattle, Washington. The Council consists of nine members serving four-year terms, seven of which are elected by electoral districts and two of which are elected in citywide at-l ...
, first elected to the council on November 4, 1997, and immediately sworn in to fill an unfinished term. He was elected to full council terms in 1999 and 2003 and served through 2007. Steinbrueck served as council president during 2002 and 2003. 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, with a portfolio of the city's long-term comprehensive planning, land use regulation, city design, and development standards.
In late 2012, Steinbrueck announced his candidacy for
Mayor of Seattle in the
2013 election he came in third in a crowded race, but failed to move past the primary election. On November 7, 2017, Steinbrueck was elected as Seattle Port Commissioner, Position 4.
![Peter Steinbrueck Port of Seattle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Peter_Steinbrueck_Port_of_Seattle.jpg)
Steinbrueck served one term on th
Port of Seattle Commissionbeginning in 2018 where he is credited with creating the Port's $20 million dollar South King County Community Fund, co-chaired the Port's Art Committee restoring art funding at Sea-Tac Airport from 1/2 percent to 1 percent of capital spending and extended the program Port-wide. Steinbrueck authored a motion passed by the full Commission developing a task force on Policing and Civil Rights charged with examining Port Police hiring, training, promotions, and the use of force. 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.
Educational activities
Steinbrueck 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 environmental sustainability of cities and regions. In 2009, Steinbrueck was named a Loeb Fellow in the Graduate School of Design at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
, where he completed an academic year 2009-10 of independent research focused on the environment, climate change and urban sustainability in the United States. Steinbrueck is a member of the Harvard Center for the Environment's Working Group for Sustainable Cities.
In 2007, after leaving his City Council position, Steinbrueck founded his own firm, Steinbrueck Urban Strategies, an urban planning, urban sustainability and urban design consulting practice.
Awards and recognition
The
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...
(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. 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. 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. In 2012, Steinbrueck was recipient of the U.S. Federal Executives Board's Outstanding Public service Award.
Other local, state, and national organizations that have honored him including the Seattle Education Association (Hero Award, 2004), Seattle Human Services Coalition (Stewardship Award, 2006), ''
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
'' magazine's Most Influential People (2006), Seattle Fire Fighters Local 27 (Red Helmet Award, 2008), and the Washington State Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (Outstanding Career Achievement in Historic Preservation, 2008).
Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation
Retrieved January 11, 2019.
Notes
References
* ![Peter Steinbrueck](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Peter_Steinbrueck.jpg)
Knute Berger
Knute "Skip" Berger (born December 5, 1953) is an American journalist, writer and editor based in Seattle, Washington, United States.
Berger is a columnist for Crosscut.com, writing under the name "Mossback". He is also Editor-at-Large and a ...
,
The passion of Peter Steinbrueck
(''Crosscut Crosscut may refer to:
* Crosscut.com, an online newspaper in Seattle
* Crosscut Peak, a mountain peak in Antarctica
* Crosscut Point, a rocky point in the South Sandwich Islands
* CrossCut Records, a German record company
* A type of saw cut, m ...
'', December 19, 2007)
* Knute Berger,
Peter Steinbrueck decides
(''Crosscut Crosscut may refer to:
* Crosscut.com, an online newspaper in Seattle
* Crosscut Peak, a mountain peak in Antarctica
* Crosscut Point, a rocky point in the South Sandwich Islands
* CrossCut Records, a German record company
* A type of saw cut, m ...
'', April 17, 2009)
* Sharon Pian Chan,
What’s next for Peter Steinbrueck?
(''The Seattle Times'', December 28, 2007), “Peter Steinbrueck, known for his impassioned speeches and contentious nature, plans to remain an activist when his term on the Seattle City Council expires Monday.”
2017 AIA College of Fellows History & Directory
{{DEFAULTSORT:Steinbrueck, Peter
Fellows of the American Institute of Architects
Architects from Seattle
Bowdoin College alumni
University of Washington College of Built Environments alumni
Seattle City Council members
Living people
1957 births
Lakeside School alumni
Harvard Graduate School of Design