Kitsap County planners took their message to the streets of Port Orchard during a recent “Read, Roam, Rules” walk.

The walk was an interactive outreach event designed to make housing and development discussions more accessible to the public. The initiative drew inspiration from Jane Jacobs Walks, which celebrate community connection through walking tours that explore the built environment firsthand. For organizers, the goal was to move beyond traditional public meetings and bring planning topics into real-world settings where participants could better understand the impact of land use decisions.

“We’re inviting the community to not just hear about planning, but to experience it,” said Heather Cleveland, long-range planner for Kitsap County. “It’s a chance to explore, ask questions, and see how decisions show up in real places.”

The event was a collaboration between Kitsap County’s Department of Community Development, Human Services, and Housing Kitsap. The 2-3 mile walk was carefully curated to highlight key affordable housing projects in Port Orchard’s Urban Growth Area.

The route began and ended at Discovery Alternative School, with stops that included completed, in-progress, and proposed housing developments. At Madrona Glen, participants learned about Housing Kitsap’s Mutual Self-Help Housing Program, where homebuyers earning 80 percent or less of the area median income build each other’s homes as a form of sweat equity.

The walk also featured Conifer Ridge, a community offering 40 affordable units for seniors and individuals with disabilities, and the Fircrest Blackberry Lot, a proposed site for seven new apartment buildings.

The walk included a visit to the Pacific Building Shelter, a former fitness club that’s been renovated into a 75-bed congregate shelter offering wraparound services such as case management, healthcare, and employment support. Cleveland said this stop illustrated the power of adaptive reuse and the comprehensive approach required to address homelessness.

“Turning the former Olympic Fitness Club into a shelter is a great example of adaptive reuse, finding creative ways to meet urgent housing needs by reimagining the spaces we already have,” she said.

Other stops included a future site for South Kitsap Helpline’s food bank, the new Madrona Manor senior housing project, and various areas of the Parkwood Planned Community. While not every site focused solely on housing, each played a role in supporting low-income families and individuals throughout the area.

Per Alicia Alder, outreach and communications coordinator for Kitsap County Community Development, one of the key goals of the walk was to break down complex planning topics through lived experience and community storytelling. Participants shared personal housing challenges, discussed how difficult it can be to navigate funding and development processes, and learned about the coordination it takes to make projects a reality.

“By walking together, visiting local spots, and sharing stories and ideas, we’re making these issues easier to understand and showing how they connect to everyday life,” Alder said. “It’s about building trust and sparking conversations that matter.”

Feedback from participants emphasized the effectiveness of the walk in bringing visibility to both successes and barriers in affordable housing. While many praised the range of projects highlighted, others pointed out ongoing challenges such as walkability and the difficulties associated with developing multifamily housing in rural or semi-urban areas.

The event also served as an opportunity to spotlight Kitsap’s recent efforts to address the housing crisis through policy changes adopted in the 2024 Comprehensive Plan. These changes included reduced minimum lot sizes for attached housing in low-density zones, decreased front setbacks for multifamily units, increased density requirements in commercial zones, and higher building height limits in designated areas of Silverdale. These updates aim to make development more flexible, encourage infill housing, and better use existing infrastructure.

In addition to these regulatory changes, the county is working on a set of pre-approved Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) plans in partnership with the cities of Port Orchard, Poulsbo, Bremerton, and Bainbridge Island. These plans will streamline the permitting process and reduce costs for homeowners seeking to add small, flexible housing units on their property. The initiative supports infill development, aging in place, multigenerational living, and rental opportunities in already developed communities.

Each “Read, Roam, Rules” event is paired with a book to deepen public understanding of the featured topic. This month, participants received free copies of Homelessness is a Housing Problem by Gregg Colburn and Clayton Aldern. After the walk, community members were invited to discuss the book and connect its themes to local housing policy and planning solutions.

Past walks have explored topics like tree canopy regulations in Kingston, and future events are already in the works. In October, the county will host a walk focused on beaver habitats and their impact on local ecosystems and land use in Silverdale.

“Our goal is to make ‘Read, Roam, Rules’ a lasting part of how we engage with the public, bringing community development topics to life in ways that are interactive, inclusive, and grounded in real places,” said Rafe Wysham, Kitsap County’s community development director. “As the program grows, we’re excited to collaborate with more community organizations and spark conversations that lead to meaningful, people-centered solutions.”

Residents can stay informed about future walks and housing initiatives by visiting kcowa.us/DCD, following Kitsap County Government on social media, or subscribing to the Community Development newsletter.