The history of Tacoma's neighborhoods goes back to the time of its earliest settlements. Ever since Old Town and New Tacoma united to form the City of Tacoma in 1884, neighborhoods have served as the foundation on which community is built.  

Today, with the formation of neighborhood councils, citizens and city government continue to build on that foundation by focusing on the places people care about the most - their neighborhoods. These councils were created as a way to broaden citizen input and give residents greater representation in city government.