Seattle Culture
The Burien Effect
Recognition for a creative economy
By Rob Smith January 16, 2023
This article originally appeared in the November/December 2022 issue of Seattle magazine.
Burien has evolved quite a bit since it detached itself from King County rule and incorporated as its own city almost three decades ago. The downtown area has become a destination for Seattleites seeking a quaint, charming shopping experience, and the 52,000-resident city just southwest of Sea-Tac Airport has become a haven for homebuyers seeking to escape skyrocketing Seattle housing prices.
Now, Burien has become just the 13th city in Washington state to earn the status of Certified Creative District based on the creative businesses there such as the Highline Heritage Museum and Burien Little Theater. The city is also home to the Burien Fiesta, Arts-a-Glow, the Burien Film Festival and more.
“Burien is bursting with creative activity,” says Karen Hanan, executive director at ArtsWA, a state government agency that awards the designation. “We’ve all watched Burien’s evolution with tremendous excitement.”
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis found that the creative sector generates more than 10% of Washington’s GDP. Other Certified Creative Districts include Moses Lake, Chewela (near Spokane) and Port Townsend.
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