Seattle (Wash.). Dept. of Planning and Development

The mission of the Department of Design, Construction and Land Use is to protect the public's health, safety, and welfare through enforecement of land use, housing, and construction codes and standards. Department responsibilities include code development, inspection of new construction, code enforcement, and reciew of development applications. DCLU programs are funded primarily through a variety of permit fees. The Department of Construction and Land Use was formed in 1980 by merging the Code Enforcement, Housing Conservation, and Administrative Services divisions of the Building Department with the Department of Community Development's Technical Review Section. This consolidated land use administration in one department. The Department name was changed to Design, Construction, and Land Use in 1998 to reflect an effort to increase the visibility of good design in the built environment. The Building Department, DCLU's predecessor agency, was created in 1910 to administer public building and enforce City construction codes. The Department was responsible for issuing all building permits for construction within the City limits. The Department of Planning and Development is the name given in 2003 to the former Department of Design, Construction and Land Use.