In August 2021, ULI Northwest was one of five District Councils selected to participate in a national grant program focused on understanding racist land use policies and advancing health equity. Over the course of 18 months, ULI Northwest and a team of dedicated ULI members in Seattle and Portland will convene real estate development professionals, public sector officials, and community-based organizations to understand the role of the real estate industry in exacerbating health disparities and the impacts of climate change for racialized, immigrant, and low-income communities along the I-5 corridor in the Portland and Seattle metro areas. In partnership with community-based organizations, ULI Northwest will identify real estate practices and policies the industry can take to mitigate future disparities and impacts.   

In the first phase of the project, ULI Northwest conducted outreach to more than a dozen community organizations to understand current initiatives and identify possible projects or organizations we might team with on a specific partnership effort. The leadership team established criteria to evaluate each project with a goal of identifying two case studies for further analysis. As we conducted our research, several projects emerged that met established criteria and had the potential for further collaboration. As we enter the second phase of the project, we will focus on deepening relationships with community organizations at our case study sites and co-creating action plans for change. The second phase of the project will also include GIS mapping and equity consulting services provided by ULI national to further our understanding of local issues.  

In the third and final phase of the project, we will work to identify real estate practice and policy changes in an Action Agenda to promote climate justice and health equity. Our final report will explore how developers and community organizations can work together more effectively to mitigate and reverse past harms while investing in community priorities and equitable development.   

ULI Northwest would like to thank the following individuals and organizations who we interviewed in the first phase of the project:  

• Ubax Gardheere & Lauren Flemister (City of Seattle)​ 
• Thatcher Imboden (Sound Transit)​ 
• Maiko Winkler-Chin (SCIDpda)​ 
• Andrea Akita (Communities of Opportunity)​ 
• Lisa Yolhalem (Healthpoint)​ 
• Stephanie Farquar (UW Public Health)​ 
• Andrea Petzel (Broadview Planning, American Planning Association Food Systems Division)​ 
• Matt Wiley & Kaitlin Boyce (Spectrum Development)​ 
• Bryson Davis (Sussman Shank LLP)​ 
• Lisa Abuaf (Prosper Portland)​ 

We would also like to recognize the members of our volunteer leadership committee, who continue to support this initiative with thoughtful contributions and guidance:  

• Erin Ishizaki, Mithun (Chair) 
• Bryson Davis, Sussman Shank, LLP 
• Damien Hall, Ball Janik 
• Frewine Kiros, Center for Equity and Inclusion, Portland 
• Gareth Roe, BCRA
• Michi Slick, Killian Pacific  
• Quanlin Hu, SRM Development 
• Rick Krochalis 
• Seth Otto, Maul Foster Alongi 
• Uche Okezie, Homesight 

If you are interested in learning more about this project, or getting involved, please reach out to the ULI Northwest team at [email protected].