Transit-Oriented Development

Capitol Hill Housing promotes equitable transit-oriented development on Capitol Hill and throughout the Puget Sound region. At the neighborhood scale, CHH staff supports the work of the Capitol Hill Champion, a community group that works to inform the uses, design, and function of the transit-oriented development (TOD) sites that will surround the future Broadway light rail station. The Champion has managed a multi-year community engagement and research process culminating in a series of reports and recommendations:

Broadway TOD Report 1 - Precedents

Broadway TOD Report 2 - Charrette

Broadway TOD Report 3 - Recommendations

Capitol Hill Light Rail Station Urban Design Framework

Recommendations include affordability for 50% of on-site housing, a permanent home for the Capitol Hill Farmers Market, cultural/community space, sustainable building design, and retail that meets neighborhood needs and spurs pedestrian activity. The Champion and Capitol Hill Housing staff continue to advocate for the inclusion of these priorities with the City of Seattle and Sound Transit through a development agreement process to be finalized by June 2012.

At the regional scale, CHH is deeply involved in the Puget Sound Regional Council's Growing Transit Communities program. Growing Transit Communities (GTC) is a regional planning effort to "help local communities make the most of new light rail service, bus rapid transit and other transit investments" focusing on TOD opportunities. CHH sits on the Affordable Housing and Equity Steering Committees for the program. CHH's work on GTC will include:

  • Development of guiding principles for regional equity
  • Establishment of links between community-based organizations and land use and transportation planners
  • Promotion of transit-accessible affordable housing strategies such as a TOD land acquisition fund, and a public surplus and underutilized land strategy
  • Sharing lessons learned at the Capitol Hill TOD site with the rest of the region