University Place-Slavyanka

University Place is a city in Washington State located 50 miles south of Seattle. The population is 31,140. University Place remained an unincorporated part of Pierce County until the City of University Place was formed in 1995. Today, University Place functions as a mixed business and residential area near the waterfront of Puget Sound. To find more information about University Place, click here.

Slavyanka Urban Settlement is an urban settlement with a population of 14,597 (2006) people, located in southern Primorsky Krai and 112 miles from Vladivostok. It was founded by the Russian sailors in 1861 as a military station. The civilian population came to Slavyanka at the end of the nineteenth century. By 1897 the population grew to 906 people. Slavyanka received the status of an urban settlement in 1943. Nowadays the main enterprises include a sea port, a ship repair plant, and a fish processing plant. Slavyanka Urban Settlement is a new municipality formed in 2006 and is currently involved in the issues of its formation and development as an independent municipality. To find more information about Slavyanka Urban Settlement, click here.

Delegation Excnahge: July 26 - August 4, 2008

While in University Place the participants from Slavyanka Urban Settlement, a recently formed municipality, were focused on the issues of development strategy for new municipalities. Citizen engagement was one of the issues where the Slavyanka delegation sought guidance and discussed community involvement plans throughout their entire program. The Slavyanka delegation had an opportunity to interact with the city’s officials and leaders and attended various trainings organized by the administration of the University Place. They also had a unique opportunity to attend various community events such groundbreaking event with Washington State Governor Gregoire for a pedestrian overpass, Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, and University Place Community Festival.

Partnership Project: Partnership Project Title: Realizing Citizens’ Rights in the Strategic Socio-Economic Development Plan for Slavyanka Urban Settlement through 2020
Project Start and End Dates: December 15, 2008 - August 31, 2009

Slavyanka Urban Settlement and University Place together with the Far East Center for Economic Development (Vladivostok) completed implementation of a joint partnership project “Realizing Citizens’ Rights in the Strategic Socio-Economic Development Plan for Slavyanka Urban Settlement through 2020”. The goal of the project is to increase citizen participation in the strategic planning process of Slavyanka Urban Settlement based upon models adapted from the city of University Place. The partners also signed the Agreement on International Cooperation between Slavyanka and University Place. The mutually beneficial Agreement will allow the partners to advance long-term international partnership relations between Slavyanka and University Place and will provide a basis to share practical experience between the municipalities.