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Content current as of 04/17/25

Website Modernization Project

On April 30, 2025, we launched our newly redesigned City website, tacoma.gov. This modern platform offers an attractive, engaging, information-rich, and accessible experience on any internet-connected device.

Our previous website, cityoftacoma.org, which debuted in 2013, garnered an average of 5.5 million page views annually. It served as a vital resource for Tacoma residents, businesses, and visitors, facilitating communication with local government, delivering essential digital services, and promoting transparency.

However, a site assessment conducted in 2023 revealed that cityoftacoma.org was outdated in terms of service delivery, accessibility, mobile-friendliness, and overall user experience.

With the launch of tacoma.gov, we aim to better address user needs and leverage technological advancements to enhance our community’s online engagement.

What’s New? 

Web modernization  

  • Improved navigation and new look and feel 
  • Mobile-friendly design 
  • Updated and more relevant content 
  • Increased accessibility and usability 

New URL 

  • The City website URL changed from “cityoftacoma.org” to “tacoma.gov.” 
  • Most cityoftacoma.org URLs will automatically redirect to the corresponding content on the new tacoma.gov website. 

Updated Email Addresses  

  • Starting May 9, 2025, most City emails will change to “user@tacoma.gov” 
  • Communications sent to both the old and new addresses will reach the intended recipient. 
  • These updates align with council priorities to build trust and transparency.

Learn More

Website Modernization Project Flyer

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  • Service improvements- Service improvements will benefit residents, community members, and City employees.  
  • Enhanced Security – Transitioning to the .gov domain will help mitigate cybersecurity threats.  
  • Improved Accessibility – A modern, user-friendly design provides engaging content that’s easily accessible. 
  • Improves branding (tacoma.gov is shorter and easier to remember)! 
  • Increased Equity- Prioritizing mobile accessibility ensures equitable access to City services for low-income, BIPOC, and youth populations.
  • The City is collaborating with Tacoma-based SiteCrafting, a leading web development partner, to design, deploy, and support the new website.  
  • Community feedback has been central to the redesign, gathered through focus groups, usability testing, and community events.
  • Funding was originally approved in the 2023-2024 Biennial Budget. 

Approved City processes were used to select the vendor:  

  • In the last quarter of 2023, the City issued a request for proposals (RFP) to procure a vendor for building a new City website. 
  • After a competitive international search, in April 2024, Tacoma-based SiteCrafting was selected as the vendor for the City Website Modernization and Redesign Project. 

How is this being funded? 

  • SiteCrafting was awarded a contract for up to $440,000 (plus applicable tax) to transition the City to a modernized website.  

What are some key responsibilities of SiteCrafting? 

  • Planning & Management 
  • Design 
  • Usability Testing and Community Engagement 
  • Implementation  
  • Content Migration 
  • Quality Assurance Remediation  
  • User Acceptance Testing & Remediation  
  • Staff Training

Some things are staying the same: 

  • Community input has been solicited through multiple events, including at a combination of larger community events, surveys, focus groups, and individual usability testing sessions.   
  • At focus groups, usability tests, and booths at community events, staff observed real users as they interacted with the website, simulating real-world scenarios and demonstrating challenges. 
  • In June 2024, the City and SiteCrafting staff attended One Tacoma Visioning Workshops at Bates Technical College and at Salishan Family Investment Center to gather community feedback about the new website.
  • Improve navigation and enhance findability:
    Quickly find information on common questions, current projects, City goals, council meetings, recent updates, news, resident issues, and alerts. 
  • Increase accessibility and usability:
    Easy to navigate on various devices, with access to online services and accessible content for all users, regardless of ability or language, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant and being culturally inclusive.  
  • Modernized design:
    The new design offers responsive layouts and visually appealing content with consistent branding, a refreshed logo, and color palette. This will greatly improve the look and feel of the website and overall user experience. 
  • Improve transparency and content accuracy:
    Maintain relevant and current content across categories, departments, and offices to enhance transparency and information availability.  
  • Enhance resident engagement:
    Improve resident engagement by providing online services, links to frequently accessed sites, communication alerts, and updates on key projects.
  • By helping the website to be accessible and easy to use, this project is working to increase engagement with the community, helping to build belief and trust.  
  • View the City Council Priorities
  • Government domains decrease security vulnerability and require verification that the site is that of a government entity.  
  • Transitioning to .gov makes it easy for the public to identify and trust official information posted by the City of Tacoma. 

Compare and contrast:  

  • .org domains are available to anyone for a fee, making information published there less trustworthy.  
  • .gov domains are only available to U.S. based government organizations.
  • In addition to cityoftacoma.org, select other City-owned websites will also change their URL. Most cityoftacoma.org URLs will automatically redirect to the corresponding content on the new tacoma.gov website. 
  • The following websites will not change: mytpu.org, tacomalibrary.org, and tacomavenues.org. 
  • Yes, most emails using “@cityoftacoma.org” will change to “@tacoma.gov.” 
  • This change includes Tacoma Public Utilities. 
  • Emails sent to both the old and new addresses will reach the intended recipient. 
  • Emails for Tacoma Public Library, Tacoma Venues & Events will not be changing at this time.
  • Access Tacoma FIRST 311 and select “Make a Request,” enter your approximate location, and then select “Report a Problem with City of Tacoma Website.”
  • Contact the Tacoma FIRST 311 Customer Support Center by dialing 311 within Tacoma city limits or (253) 591-5000 from anywhere else. 
  • Access TacomaFIRST 311 and select “Make A Request”, enter your approximate location, then select “Report a Problem with City of Tacoma Website”.