To improve public health outcomes relating to air quality and heat events, the City of Seattle and King County are working with community organizations (ECOSS, Just Health Action, and Dirt Corps) and businesses to green historically industrial areas adjacent to residential neighborhoods in the Duwamish Valley.
Working collaboratively with property owners, ECOSS is developing projects that address challenges and constraints typically seen in industrial areas.
This work is critical because:
- Industrial areas have the poorest air quality, the highest heat island index, and the fewest trees.
- Greening projects must be innovative and site-specific as industrial areas often lack sidewalks, curbs, and drainage.
- Industrial conditions present a unique challenge to greening projects.
If you are a commercial property owner interested in this program, contact aahmed@ecoss.org.
Green Storm Infrastructure (GSI) is a smart approach to managing stormwater. Instead of relying solely on pipes and drains, we tap into nature’s toolkit. Here’s the breakdown:
- Plants: Trees and shrubs soak up rainwater like sponges
- Soil: Dirt absorbs water and filters out pollutants
- Permeable Surfaces: Rain-friendly pathways let water seep through
- Rain Barrels and Cisterns: Superheroes collecting rainwater from roofs
Other benefits include:
- Improving air quality and reducing heat-related risks
- Transforming industrial spaces into greener, healthier environments
- Improving drainage and water quality
Modular Planters
We are working with local businesses to install modular planters in the Georgetown and South Park neighborhoods. These planters are easily maintained and add green space to properties. The plants and trees add an attractive element while improving air quality.
Based on early community outreach, the pilot projects need to cover a range of conditions. The simplest projects are tree boxes, and more complex projects include landscaping at ground level on both private and public properties.
Tree Boxes
Modular planters that are planted with young trees and can be placed anywhere. Over time these tree boxes will beautify the property, provide shade, and contribute to the neighborhood’s air quality.
Grattix Boxes
A Grattix Box is a specialized modular planter that functions as a small portable rain garden. Placed under downspouts, it enhances the site while helping to retain rainwater, reduce runoff, and filter pollutants before the water reaches the drainage system or nearby waterways.
Box of Rain installations by ECOSS and Equinox Studios https://ecoss.org/projects/equinox.
Photo credit – Cari Simson.
Depaving
Depaving projects remove existing concrete, asphalt paving, or compacted gravel and add in plants and healthy soils to absorb and slow rainwater. In Industrial areas, roadway edges are often poorly defined, so adding wide planting beds, trees, and bolt-on curbs are an affordable way to boost environmental benefits and create safer, more legible streets.
Completed depaving project — 13th Ave S & Airport Way S
Completed depaving along 6th Ave S
Raingardens
A rain garden is a shallow, planted depression designed to collect and absorb stormwater runoff from roofs, streets, or paved areas.
Raingardens improve water quality by filtering pollutants through soil and plant roots before they reach waterways. In addition, they help reduce peak runoff, support urban biodiversity, and contribute to more resilient and climate-adaptive landscapes.
For the Georgetown Stormwater Interpretive Center, a raingarden planter was designed to filter water and retain stormwater, slowing it down to reduce flooding impacts before it reaches the existing stormwater sewer system.
Proposed raingarden planter with metal walls for Georgetown Stormwater Interpretive Center
See the change!
ECOSS and our partners have several built examples of green infrastructure throughout Georgetown and the Duwamish Valley – and more to come. You can visit them to learn more!
Equinox Studios features several GSI strategies and detailed signage explaining how they work. The Georgetown Stormwater Interpretive Center, in the heart of Georgetown, is in design now and will feature GSI that treats polluted runoff from the I5 on ramp.