Recognizing that Seattle’s urban growth is dependent on building and maintaining healthy ecosystems, we conducted a series of eco-charrettes involving Yesler Terrace residents, City officials, public housing experts, urban planners and designers, and experts in renewable energy, wastewater treatment, and solid waste management to create solutions for the renewal of the Yesler Terrace neighborhood.

The preliminary plan included strategies such as geothermal, solar, and sewer heat recovery as energy sources, a series of membrane bioreactors to treat wastewater, and on-site composting.

Illustration by Stephanie Bowers