Vicky Yi Yun Luo, Richa Surati, Thomas (Yuntao) Pan, Elias Kahn, Jishnu Murali
Advisors: Mitchell J Glass, Robert Balder
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Seattle’s Civic Campus, long stagnant and disconnected from the city’s vibrant life, is being transformed through the HEAL+ project, a forward-thinking initiative focused on health, equity, and sustainable development. Completed as a part of the Urban Land's Institute's student urban design competition, HEAL+ revitalizes the underused space, blending modern technology and nature to create a dynamic "Commons." At its core, it fosters connectivity through transit-oriented development, linking communities across Seattle and offering accessible public spaces.
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Seattle, a city constantly pursuing invention and innovation,now embarks on a venture to rethink its well-being, which of-ten gets overlooked in technological development. The Civic Campus has its development stagnated for decades due to an aging infrastructure and disconnect from the city’s dynamic pulse. HEAL+ focused on health innovations is this rejuvenated identity of the old Civic Campus, which emerges from the underutilized authoritative space, redefining the judicial and administerial narrative of Seattle’s Civic Campus. It commits to healing relationships between the old and the new, technology and nature, modern and contemporary and the global and lo-cal. It seeks to reawaken this slumbering giant, injecting it with vitality and forging a thriving ‘Commons’ that embraces diverse needs and aspirations.
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HEAL+ is a visionary public transit-oriented development based on five key pillars: Health, Engage, Adapt, Live, and Innovate.
Health focuses on creating a space that is healthy for both people and the ecosystem. Engage represents a calendar of events and activities that foster community interaction. Adapt addresses the environment, ensuring the design is responsive to Seattle’s unique weather. Live is about connecting the culture of existing residents with new ones, creating a vibrant, inclusive neighborhood. Finally, Innovate represents the integration of cutting-edge technology and forward-thinking design, offering new ways of living and enhancing the overall urban experience in HEAL+.
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Furthermore, it is a model for sustainable mobility, aiming to reduce reliance on private vehicles through an efficient transit system. By bridging the I-5 freeway, Harbor Way, and Freeway Connect Bridge, it ensures direct, seamless connections between east and west Seattle, including the Harbor view Medical Campus.
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HEAL+ is achieving their five pillars using public private partnerships with local big tech companies, universities, and community participation to create healthy living and plenty of events for the citizens that we envision living in this new neighbourhood. HEAL+ goes beyond affordable housing, transit access, cultural revival, and historic preservation—it also creates jobs, attracting both residents and international students, as well as aspiring entrepreneurs. By engaging local communities and fostering innovation, it reshapes the concept of the commons. This sustainable and inclusive "Civic Campus" envisions a thriving, connected community in Seattle
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The design embraces sustainable and resilient principles to harmonize with the natural terrain of the Civic Campus. Stormwater runoff is managed through rain gardens, bioswales, and green corridors, creating a seamless relationship between the built environment and nature. Green terraces and solar panels are integrated to enhance resilience, reduce carbon footprints, and utilize renewable energy. The project also prioritizes accessibility with a comprehensive pedestrian network and establishes view corridors.
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As well as enhancing community well-being, HEAL+ understands th at it must deliver financial returns for investors. The development leverages a range of subsidies and tax credits to make affordable housing a central feature, including the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and government programs like Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA). These incentives help cover the costs of affordable housing construction within the mixed-use development. HEAL+ also utilizes a combination of construction loans and permanent participating loans to fund the project, with structured cash flow sharing to ensure long-term sustainability. By incorporating a 9% Tax Credit, the project further strengthens its financial viability, bridging funding gaps and supporting the successful completion of the development.
The project is split into three phases. Phase 1 repurposes historic landmarks into a mixed-use development with affordable housing and community spaces, funded by a mix of LIHTC, MHA, and tax credits.
Phase 2 establishes the King County Transit Hub as the focal point, adding 804 affordable housing units and 1.4 million square feet of commercial space, with funding from construction and participating loans for a 15% return.
Phase 3 creates public spaces and bridges connecting East and West Seattle, funded by the city and facilitated through a Public-Private Partnership with the Community Land Trust (CLT).
