Low-Pollution Neighborhoods
What's Happening Now?
To help guide planning and implementation, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE) are engaging in community conversations to understand community climate priorities and what a low-pollution neighborhood might look like to various communities or in different parts of the city.
These conversations are occurring this winter to inform low-pollution neighborhoods planning and implementation between 2024-2028.
Overview
In December 2022, Mayor Bruce Harrell signed an Executive Order directing City departments to work together to prioritize and expand actions that equitably reduce or eliminate greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) within the transportation sector. One of the actions the Mayor called for is to plan for three low-pollution neighborhoods by 2028.
SDOT has received a RAISE (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) federal planning grant to develop an implementation and funding plan to meet the Mayor’s commitment to implement of up to three low-pollution neighborhoods by 2028.
What is a Low-Pollution Neighborhood?
Low-pollution neighborhoods help the city achieve its ambitious climate goals to make Seattle a greener, healthier, more prosperous and equitable place to live. They could be designated areas or streets where the City can deploy a variety of pilot, policy, program, and physical improvements to improve air and water quality, mobility, and community health.
Community Conversations
To help guide implementation, SDOT and OSE will have community conversations with groups around the City to understand community climate priorities and what a low-pollution neighborhood might look like in your part of the city. The outcomes of our conversations include the following:
- EDUCATION: share current air quality data, expected climate impacts, and climate-related investments in the neighborhood to date, the low pollution neighborhood concept.
- INPUT: understanding communities' most pressing concerns about pollution, discussions about particular kinds of investments, interventions (infrastructure additions or subtractions), policies and programs that could support the creation of low-pollution neighborhoods, potential for partnership opportunities and community readiness.
- READINESS AND CAPACITY: assess potential for community partnership opportunities and readiness.
- INTEGRATE: this information with other outreach that is happening (around the Seattle Transportation Plan, tree equity and resilience hubs, for example) and
- SUMMARIZE: to inform the next phase
- HIGHLIGHT: the opportunity that low-pollution neighborhoods bring for channeling both State and Federal climate investments into Seattle neighborhoods.
Low-Pollution Neighborhood Implementation
The community conversations will help us build a toolkit that includes a comprehensive menu of infrastructure investments, incentives, and policies that could be utilized to create low-pollution neighborhoods. The conversations will also help the City define and identify potential areas and projects for implementation.
On-street electric vehicle chargers expand the reach of zero-emission vehicles.
E-cargo bike deliveries in neighborhoods with high volumes of residents and businesses.
Mayor Bruce Harrell signs the Climate Executive Order.
Occidental Avenue in Pioneer Square prioritizes space for people over vehicles.
Timeline
2023-24
- December-February Community Conversations
2024
- January and February: Community Conversations continue
- March: Conversation summary, planning grant work begins
- August: Establish low-pollution neighborhood vision and develop toolkit
- October: Identify potential areas for implementation
2025
- March: Define future projects and programs
- June: Finalize Implementation and Funding Plan
2026 – 2028
- Implement at least 3 low-pollution neighborhoods