Illustrating Environmental Change in the Duwamish Valley

These custom illustrations depict the progression of environmental change in the Duwamish Valley, in present-day Seattle area. In the most concentrated industrial areas of the city, certain communities that have been historically disinvested in are getting improvements, but the construction of improvement projects continues to impact them. The local utility agency sought to acknowledge the environmental impacts of urban planning projects, while also communicate that it is part of a larger effort to re-establish a healthy Duwamish River and urban environment so that these communities can thrive. 

I worked with Seattle Public Utilities, landscape architecture firm Mithun, and engagement consulting firm Triangle Associates to produce these three illustrations as communication tools to help residents feel seen and heard, and to contextualize the utility's work as part of a larger story of transformation.