Equitable Transit Oriented Development

What's Happening Now?

Join the Chinatown-International District Place-Based Group!

We are seeking participants from community-based organizations and groups rooted in and accountable to communities in the Chinatown-International District (CID) who want to advance a community-serving capital or place-keeping project. Participants will:

• Receive a high-level feasibility analysis and a project summary that will identify knowledge gaps and additional consultation needs to understand project feasibility (examples include advising the project to pursue environmental review, construction cost estimate, zoning determination, etc.), and guidance on next steps.
• Gain a clear picture of next steps to move projects through feasibility.
• Build connections with other community organizations and groups in the CID

This is a paid opportunity at a fixed rate of $75 per hour for a maximum of $5,000 - $10,000 per project and an initial duration of one year. We anticipate contracting 15-20 community advisory members who represent up to 15 projects. This opportunity is part of our ETOD Strategy and Implementation Plan that refines the City’s approach to advancing community-driven outcomes in high-capacity transit station areas. By centering communities who are most impacted by investments in public infrastructure in the process—Black and Indigenous and people of color, immigrants and refugees, English language learners, LGBTQ people, youth, elders, and people living with disabilities—this approach attempts to address the root causes of displacement and enable self-determination through community led and owned development. An Equitable TOD Strategy and Implementation Plan is actionable and may include identifying opportunity sites and funding mechanisms for key locations.

How to Apply:

• Download the Request for Proposals Solicitation
• Fill out the Required Federal Form
• Complete the Disclosure of Lobbying Activities Disclosure Form
• Placed Based Group Mini Agreement for OPCD community service participants

Email these materials to Alberta Bleck by Friday, October 24, 5:00 p.m. The City of Seattle complies with ADA and Section 504 requirements. If you need materials in another format, email Alberta Bleck or call (206) 684-4812. 

Important dates for applicants:

Information session 
Tuesday, September 30, 11:00 a.m. 
Email Alberta Bleck, OPCD Transit-Oriented Development Strategist, to receive the Info Session link.

Deadline for questions 
Friday, October 17, 5:00 p.m. 
Email Alberta Bleck with any questions.

Application deadline 
Friday, October 24, 5:00 p.m. 

Title VI Statement

The City of Seattle, in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All prospective consultants are advised that federally funded projects will be held to federal Equal Employment Opportunity requirements.

Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (ETOD) is an opportunity to center community priorities and repair harm.

We know that institutional racism has and continues to create a painful legacy of public infrastructure projects that disproportionately impact low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. We’ve seen an increase in displacement pressures resulting from light rail investments in Rainier Valley. At the same time, we have seen neighborhood leaders reclaiming development to meet their needs and help their communities thrive in place.

ETOD centers communities as decision-makers in the planning process to support a vision for community led and owned development.

The City is leveraging a $1.75 million grant from the Federal Transportation Administration to support ETOD along the West Seattle Link Extension and the Ballard Link Extension corridors with implications for ETOD throughout the city. By centering communities who are most impacted by investments in public infrastructure in the process—Black, Indigenous, and people of color, immigrants and refugees, English language learners, LGBTQ people, youth, elders, and people living with disabilities—this approach attempts to address the root causes of displacement and deliver self-determination through community led and owned development. An ETOD Strategy and Implementation Plan is actionable and may include identifying opportunity sites and funding mechanisms for key locations.

In May of 2021, City staff recruited five core steering committee members to develop a framework and process for advancing the ETOD Strategy and Implementation Plan. They create a definition and vision for ETOD and a set of implementation and process values to continue guiding this work.

What ETOD can be:

1. Building community power through ownership and permanent stewardship of land, investing in organizing rooted in community vision and process and centered in systems change.
2. Starts with Land Ownership: Conversations about zoning, density, and transit supportive uses must be preceded by removing speculative pressures and banking land for community ownership early and at scale.
3. Holistic community benefits that include both rental and ownership housing that is affordable, but also incorporates other community identified uses such as childcare, cultural space, arts, healthy food, liveable wage jobs, healthcare, education, small businesses, open space and places to play, and more.
4. Results in mobility and access justice including fare affordability, universal design, connectivity and safety.
5. Promotes economic justice through the tools we develop to finance community projects, creating opportunities for community wealth building, and commercial ownership models.
6. A healthy environment that promotes a sense of belonging and includes strengthening mitigation and adaptation to climate change and community resiliency and health.

What is Equitable Transit-Oriented Development

We view Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (ETOD) as an opportunity to repair harm, build racial equity, and address community needs. ETOD means centering communities as decision-makers in the planning process to support a vision for community led and owned development in neighborhoods surrounding high-capacity transit. Equitable Transit-Oriented Development focuses on the process and outcomes of development, and might result in building affordable housing, child-care facilities, grocery stores, green spaces, or other types of development a community wants to see.

Our preliminary Core Steering Group of community members helped create the structure for this work and crafted a preliminary definition of ETOD below. The Community Advisory Group will refine this definition and make it their own.

• Community Power: Builds Community Power through community ownership and permanent stewardship of land, investing in community organizing, rooted in community vision and process, and centered in systems change.
• Starts with Land Ownership: Conversations about zoning, density, and transit supportive uses must be preceded by removing speculative pressures and banking land for community ownership early and at scale.
• Holistic Community Benefits: Includes both rental and ownership housing that is affordable, but also incorporates other community identified uses such as childcare, cultural space, arts, healthy food, good jobs, healthcare, education, small businesses, open space and places to play, etc.
• Results in Mobility and access justice including fare affordability, universal design, connectivity, safety.
• Promotes economic justice through the tools we develop to finance community projects, creating opportunities for community wealth building, and commercial ownership models.
• A healthy environment that promotes a sense of belonging and includes strengthening mitigation and adaptation to climate change and community resiliency and health.