Duwamish Valley Community Equity Program 
May 28, 2019 
Item No. 7a 
Meeting Date: May 28, 2019 
Elizabeth Leavitt 
Environment and Sustainability,
Center of Expertise 
Rich Brown 
Georgetown Representative, 
Port Community Action Team 
Christina Billingsley 
Environmental Engagement,
External Relations 
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Equity in Communities Valued at the Port 
Century Agenda 
Commission priority 
Energy & Sustainability
Committee 
"Social license" to operate 
Reduces project costs and
inefficiencies 
Equity Office 

Best practices in equity align with multiple Port commitments and operational interests.                     2

Understanding Equity in Communities 



Our work started with an environmental focus, but soon shifted into a broader equity conversation.         3

Why Duwamish Valley? 
Our community experiences
historic inequities and
discriminatory practices: 
Redlining 
Industrial zoning 
Income suppression 

Map source: Robert Nelson, LaDale Winling, et al.,"Mapping Inequality," American Panorama 
Discriminatory practices excluded residents' participation in economic mobility and civic life.                   4

Inequitable Environmental Burdens 
Our community experiences a
disproportionate burden of
environmental impacts: 
Highway and freight traffic 
Historic and current contamination 
Railway and airplane noise 
Private industry pollution 
Lack of safe mobility options 

Multiple sources cause Duwamish Valley residents to face cumulative health and environmental concerns.                                                                                                      5

2013 Cumulative Health Impact Analysis 
Indicator              Georgetown/   Laurelhurst    Seattle   King
South Park     Census tracts           County 
Census tracts  4100 and
109 and 112    4200 
Life expectancy        73.3*      86.4*   81.5    81.5 
at birth (years) 
Heart disease        202.9#       89.6*  138.4   137.8 
death rate per
100,000 
Source: Public Health Seattle & King County *p=0.05 from both KC and Seattle average
#p= 0.05 for KC average only 

When added together, multiple factors cause a "cumulative health impact" with significant health outcomes.  6

Launch of the Pilot Project 
EPA technical assistance grant 
1 of 3 Ports selected in nation 
April 2017 kickoff 
Pilot project goals: 
improve environmental health
outcomes for communities
affected by ports and associated
goods movement facilities, and, 
improve environmental
performance at ports. 
To address these disparities, the pilot project followed best practices in equitable community engagement.                                                                                                          7

1. Investing in capacity building 
Port Community Action Team (PCAT) 



By launching the PCAT, the Port leveled the playing field for our community's ability to participate.           8

2. Two-way community engagement 
Learning how to
work together 
Trained on equity,
collaborative
problem solving 
Identified shared
goals 

Community and Port partners learned and adapted to each other's ways of working.                                                                                                9

PCAT-Port Shared Goals 
Community and Port Capacity Building for
Collaboration 
Healthy Environment and Communities 
Economic Prosperity in Place 


Staff and community partners have identified three shared goals the Port has RCW authority to address.     10

3. Building Trust through Action 
Community and Port
Capacity Building for
Collaboration 
Collaborate on decision making
that impacts the Duwamish Valley 
Gain skills and resources to
participate in civic processes 
Align communication methods to
foster relationship building 

Capacity building is a two-way process; community and Port staff gain transferable skills and knowledge.      11

Healthy Environment and Communities 
Develop a shared
understanding of "the
environment" 
Match community
expertise with Port
environment and
sustainability
commitments 
Build an inclusive
green economy for all 

The pilot project opened up opportunities to build on each other's environmental efforts along the river.      12

Economic Prosperity in Place 
Target economic
development programs to
benefit near-Port
communities 
Convene Port-related
industries to support
anti-displacement
solutions 
Innovate career pathways
that provide living wage
jobs and training 

Addressing displacement of low income near-Port communities prevents "green-gentrification" outcomes.    13

4. Sustaining the Commitment 
Motion 
Establish an
interdepartmental team 
Formalize PCAT 
Build Community Benefits
Commitment 
Leverage external partners 
Identify funding for
projects 
Create annual evaluation
process 

Community partners and Port staff worked together to identify long-term policy options to sustain the work.  14

Next Steps - December 2019 
Resolution with Community
Benefits Commitment 
Strategic roadmap 
Shared definitions 
Sustainable funding
opportunities 
Reporting structure to measure
success 
Collaborative action projects 
PCAT-IDT work plans 

The Community Benefits Commitment will be a groundbreaking next step for equity at the Port of Seattle.    15

Our Port, Our Community 



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