In a bid to knit sustainability into large-scale community development, Seattle's Capitol Hill EcoDistrict is exploring several avenues toward greener land use.
As green building practices spread, several cities are experimenting with 'eco-districts.' Applying the principles of environmental sustainability and ecosystem theory to whole neighborhoods can be a lot more powerful than doing so on single parcels alone. In Seattle, the Capitol Hill EcoDistrict hosts a variety of semi-independent sustainability programs under the umbrella of Capitol Hill Housing, a CDC and public development authority.
In a post for ASLA's The Dirt, Katy Scherrer describes some of the ways the EcoDistrict is pushing city-scale sustainability. They include:
- Community solar power provided to low-income housing
- Green spaces with attention paid to pollination and ecosystem development
- Green-focused exceptions to Seattle's "outdated" land use code
Scherrer writes, "If more neighborhoods begin to adopt the EcoDistrict model — wherein a range of partner organizations work in concert — we could see stronger bottom-up pushes toward city-wide sustainability.
Read the full story: Seattle’s Emerging EcoDistrict
New Community Engagement Practices for Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan Update
A major update of Seattle’s comprehensive plan is just getting under way, with new opportunities for local groups to get involved with outreach and engagement.
Courts order EPA to release billions in climate grants
The grants primarily funded projects aimed at Black, low-income and disadvantaged communities.
Seattle land ‘rematriated’ to Duwamish Tribe
Volunteer efforts transformed the space from a hazardous waste zone to a community gathering spot.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Colorado’s Largest Data Center Could Rise Next to Homes — Without a Public Hearing
The proposed campus would consume 11 times the power of Denver International Airport; as it has across the country, opposition mounts.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
'This is going to be painful:’ Virginia stares down $1.7 billion funding gap for highway maintenance
The state may address the deficit by shifting $290 million from its construction budget to maintenance projects.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello