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[ In a Nutshell ] IW2020: Seattle

As Infrastructure Week 2020 comes to close, I find myself with renewed energy and encouragement to continue the Infrastructure Awareness Movement – but with a rather wide focus. You see, infrastructure includes many sectors (16 to be precise), with this event-series discussing only about a third of them in detail. As you learn more about each sector, it becomes evident that they are mostly all inter-connected, each having unique challenges. What we’ve highlighted as a commonality is the need for community engagement and cross-sector collaboration – this includes building strong partnerships between public, private, and non-profit organizations. I’ve done my best to summarize the nearly 12 hours(!) of video content and discussion in this post…Be sure to check out the links for our partners, and videos from each day!

[ In a Nutshell ] IW2020: Seattle

What is Infrastructure Week and why should I care?

First and foremost, IW2020 serves as a platform for awareness of, and engagement into our city infrastructure – its present state/function, projects, initiatives, and opportunity. Our goal is to build a collaborative movement between Public/Private/Non-Profit organizations to create more sustainable, if not regenerative infrastructure, and accelerate equitable development strategies for urban communities. We believe public awareness, community engagement, and cross-sector collaboration are absolutely critical to achieve a Green Economy and meet the ambitions of The Green New Deal. Did we mention how many careers are related to City Infrastructure? Over 2/3’s of attendees were directly, or closely involved with infrastructure…how about you?

[ In a Nutshell ] IW2020: Seattle

IW:Seattle is part of a much bigger movement to #buildfortomorrow

United for Infrastructure was started in 2013 as a 501(c)4 non-profit, based in Washington D.C. to organize local, and encourage nation-wide events with education and advocacy efforts to elevate infrastructure as a critical issue impacting all communities throughout America. The movement includes over 500 cross-sector affiliates meeting each year to share projects, promote awareness, inspire civic engagement, and drive investment within our city’s infrastructure at all levels, creating a coalition that works together to address the challenges of urbanization. Starting now, we must re-think infrastructure and #BuildForTomorrow
(You may notice their event has been pushed to September due to COVID-19. But we couldn’t wait, nor can our infrastructure and those seeking environmental justice resulting from inadequate infrastructure!)

[ In a Nutshell ] IW2020: Seattle
Moncton Lake – Check out our blog on Cedar Falls to learn how this town woke up under water!

Seattle, like many west coast cities, is facing rapid growth compounded by aging inadequate infrastructure and unique challenges associated with our regional ecosystem facing the effects of anthropogenic climate change. The legacy of infrastructure development transcends the immediate ‘project stakeholders’, affecting surrounding communities for generations, and in many cases, has led to the socio-economic inequity we work tirelessly to correct. IW is an accessible forum for industry professionals and communities, alike, to discuss such projects, share experiences, voice concerns, and provide insight to our city’s infrastructure future.
King County and the City of Seattle are working tirelessly to address issues through inclusive urban planning, expanding non-profit partnerships, and building a coalition towards a green economy. IW will highlight their efforts, and those of the private and non-profit sectors, seeking input from our community to identify sustainable solution to mitigate the problems of extractive capitalism and rapid urbanization.

IW2020 was also featured in the South Seattle Emerald!

05.11: History of [Modernity] and Building for Tomorrow

[ In a Nutshell ] IW2020: Seattle
A story 12,020 years in the making…something we must reflect upon to proceed into the next chapter of the Human Era!
[ In a Nutshell ] IW2020: Seattle
Jane shows us just how much work the Port of Seattle is doing in the region to reduce runoff pollution.
[ In a Nutshell ] IW2020: Seattle
Distributed energy resources are the future, explains Ryan.
[ In a Nutshell ] IW2020: Seattle
Jordan shows that the numbers behind green infrastructure crush concrete!
[ In a Nutshell ] IW2020: Seattle
Dr. Scott shares her experiences within infrastructure, and just how critical it is we bring in a new generation.

Monday’s kick-off event came and went, covering lots of topics and hopefully bringing about newfound curiosity of our city infrastructure. I provided a quick summary of what infrastructure entails, the concept of modernity, and how using the Human Era helps to explain the story of living alongside, and developing our infrastructure. Our lineup included:

Jane Dewell from the Port of Seattle, discussing her work within their many maritime properties to improve water quality through stormwater (and runoff) management. There’s no shortage of projects, whether it is the installation of new stormwater infrastructure, condition assessment of existing systems, or rehabilitation of aging assets. All this work is essential to prevent polluted runoff from entering the environment, harming its inhabitants!
Ryan Biava with Seattle City Light shares his work enabling a ‘utility of the future’ for electrification strategies and innovations for a changing consumer market. Most notably, this reflects a shift from centralized power systems of the past, to decentralized energy generation, and now distributed energy resources (DER) like solar PV, fuel cells, and battery storage systems. Leveraging DER will be critical in reducing environmental impact of Human activity; after all, roughly 24% of all energy consumed is lost in traditional methods of transmission/generation!
Jordan Wildish shares the work of Earth Economics making the case for green infrastructure (GI) – think nature-based multi-use infrastructure, as opposed to impervious (and boring) asphalt/concrete… Urban GI is absolutely necessary in our cities, offering tremendous benefits over the ‘grey’ traditional approach, including reduced runoff pollution, increased native habitat, and numerous socio-economic benefits – urban heat islands? Yes, GI is a solution, and has shown to increase property values up to 20%!
Jaki Rowbottom at Kiterocket gave us a quick marketing crash-course, focusing on her work with sustainable technologies. Does your audience need a degree to understand your content? Is your content video? If you need advice marketing your technology and company, Kiterocket is ready to launch with you!
Dr. Beverly Scott lays down the truth about our next generation of city stewards, highlighting the story of IYAI+ (Introducing Youth to American Infrastructure+) to fill these critical roles with under-served youth! IYAI+ has led programs around the US, fostering infrastructure leaders through hands-on curriculum and internships. We look forward to developing a standardized MUSI course with Bev, and filling the massive workforce experience gap in community-based programs.

YouTube video
YouTube video

05.12: [MSW] The Tale of Rubbish and TraskTalk Q&A

Tuesday was nothing but rubbish and trash talk…real filthy garbage with mounds of information on our municipal solid waste! MSW is a huge business, and without the work from our presenters, our city would be full of it. Starting with a quick rundown on the history of solid waste services, regulations, and landfilling – this intro paled in comparison to some great presentations by our panelists!

Becca Fong and Jeff Neuner with Seattle Public Utilities Solid Waste Division shared humbling historical background of our city’s past, and brought us into the present in how we deal with MSW. They laid the groundwork for what citizens can do to make their work easier, and more effective – work which is carried out at the North and South Transfer Stations. Waste prevention is key ya’ll!
Srirup Kumar at Impact Bioenergy shared his company’s novel approach to transforming organic waste into compost and biogas. Their technology is scalable, starting with community-based systems to create compost, or commercial scale to take waste from farms and tech-campuses alike and creating biogas as well! No doubt Waste-to-Energy programs are on the rise, and can’t wait to work with Impact Bioenergy to acceleration adoption in the PNW. “Waste is resource out of place”
In the United States, food waste is estimated at between 30-40 percent of the food supply per USDA, approximately 133 billion pounds and $161 billion worth of food in 2010!
Quinn Apuzzo took us into the MRF at Recology, that is the material recovery facility…sharing the process behind separating our recyclables into valued resources. Its a lot of work, but is critical to reduce landfilling – just be sure to CLEAN and DRY your recyclables and DO NOT recycle plastic bags, as they mess up equipment and have essentially no redeemable value.
Q&A Highlights…

Q: Are there specific “worst offender items” that you continuously see in the wrong stream?
A: 1) Liquids left in containers, making them more difficult to process, separate, and increases contamination leading material to be landfilled vs recycled (dry bottles by putting them in your household bin upside down!) 2) Food/waste left in containers (see 1) 3) Plastic bags, especially thin-film bags – put in landfill as they clog up equipment and have very little value 4) Medical/contaminated waste, including any and all pet waste needs to go into landfill! So do hair clippings…Check out more on the MRF processing equipment!

Q: Are you noticing increases in single-use products and trash in the name of safety because of COVID?
A: Anecdotally, there has been an observed increase in household waste, and decrease in commercial waste; however, no official studies have been done. It is more important than ever to follow the guidelines set forth by your service provider, especially for composting and cleaning recyclables!

Q: Is the Columbia Ridge Landfill in Arlington, OR expected to fill up soon? Any idea on remaining capacity?
A: This is the site SPU sends landfill material to via rail-cars; since introducing recycling and composting programs, the remaining capacity at Arlington is not expected to fill up anytime soon! Per their website, projected life remaining is 143 years – hopefully longer if we all work hard to REDUCE>REUSE>RECYCLE !

Here’s a handy tool for item-specific disposal…Where does it go?

[ In a Nutshell ] IW2020: Seattle
[ In a Nutshell ] IW2020: Seattle
YouTube video

05.13: Protecting the Environment [Wastewater & Stormwater]

[ In a Nutshell ] IW2020: Seattle
Which wastewater treatment plant serves YOUR poo?
[ In a Nutshell ] IW2020: Seattle
Keith Ward shares the project scope, including a 18’10” tunnel with a massive drop shaft and multiple pump stations!
[ In a Nutshell ] IW2020: Seattle
Industrial wastewater treatment is no cookie-cutter process, Jeff explains.
[ In a Nutshell ] IW2020: Seattle
Pictures are worth a thousand lab tests…however, lab tests do quantify just how effective GI can be!

Wednesday we covered many things water: municipal wastewater systems, industrial wastewater treatment, stormwater challenges in a combined sewer system, and green solutions to runoff pollution. Let’s of great content with this one, just sad we had limited time to discuss…More H2O talk to come in future IW events!

Katelyn Leeuw with King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division covers the region’s wastewater system, consisting of numerous facilities and miles of piping to convey and treat 270MGD on average! We discuss the processes behind these facilities and rules we all need to abide by to keep things flowing without incident: remember the 3 P’s – Pee, Poop, Paper of the toilet variety.
“Well what about flushable wipes?” NOPE, to the landfill it goes!!!
Keith Ward gives us a crash-course on combined sewer systems and one of the region’s largest (and hidden) projects – the Ship Canal Water Quality conveyance tunnel for stormwater spanning four neighborhoods. His work for Seattle Public Utilities is a collaborative endeavor with King County to reduce pollution in heavy rain events when overflow occurs – storing and routing 75MG of polluted runoff to Westpoint WWTP.
Annika Wallendahl & Jeff Naumoff discuss their work for SLR International pertaining to industrial wastewater; regulations, treatment, and the complications of an advanced process that is often hindered by dated infrastructure. Did you know many of these facilities, especially refineries, were built before the Clean Water Act was passed? Jeff covers some of the implications of this…
Ellen Southard shares her work with SalmonSafe and SiteStory to identify and mitigate something most of us have never considered…polluted runoff from our many bridges! With a quick history lesson on the Aurora bridge (Hwy 99), we see how important the installation of green infrastructure and bioswales have become to provide infiltration and removal of pollutants before they reach the water. The future holds more GI for our bridges, so be sure to follow her work!
YouTube video

05.14: [Greenspaces] and [Energy] in our City

Thursday brought together Greenspaces and energy, two seemingly opposite aspects of our city infrastructure. But what if we can transform defunct energy assets to greenspaces, and incorporate nature into renewable energy infrastructure? It becomes clear that the future of energy is green while creating space for nature in the urban environment!

Sadly, I forgot to hit record in the beginning, but check out the first video which captures the amazing and novel work by the late Richard Haag, a forward-thinking landscape architect who created Gasworks Park from the derelict gasification plant.
Landscape architect Jorge Abich shares another remediation project, the Field’s Park in Portland. Formerly home to a railyard turned brownfield site, this transformation created invaluable public space for the Pearl District and certainly a place to visit next time your on a brewery tour or just looking for some sun!
Leslie Cook Wong, Mark Arigoni, and Annika Wallendahl with SLR International discuss the Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA) and an awesome solar PV project where the bee’s can buzz along with megawatts of DC power! We hear how CETA will change the PNW’s energy portfolio and how we can leverage collaboration and engagement to make electrons green.
Seattle Parks & Recreation wasn’t able to make it, so I tried my best to give credit where its due. We are incredibly fortunate to have access to 409 city parks (409!), including 11 swimming pools, where 94% of the population is within a 10 minute walk to at least one of them. The organization has their work cut out for them, keeping trails maintained, trash bins emptied, and offering some truly special programs. Check out their site to learn more!

Curious about your energy portfolio? Check out the Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s map!

[ In a Nutshell ] IW2020: Seattle
The US had 17% of the Worlds energy consumption in 2017 with 24% lost to generation/transmission! (Gen 2 infrastructure)
[ In a Nutshell ] IW2020: Seattle
Check out Field’s Park and the surrounding views!
[ In a Nutshell ] IW2020: Seattle
Mark shows this solar PV station with native ground cover and bioswales on the sloped grade, atypical for many sites.
YouTube video
YouTube video

05.15: Seattle History & [Sustainable Development]

[ In a Nutshell ] IW2020: Seattle
Some legendary historical photos here, and be sure to watch the historic footage from the Denny Regrade Project…
[ In a Nutshell ] IW2020: Seattle
David summarizes just a few stats from the Ballard Locks…
[ In a Nutshell ] IW2020: Seattle
Learn more about the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition (DRCC) here! Have you paid real rent?
[ In a Nutshell ] IW2020: Seattle
Green infrastructure & policy has cascading benefits and is critical to achieving equity among our communities.

Friday’s discussion was the most important and truly represents the source of my passion: accelerating sustainable development strategies and building equity into new and existing infrastructure projects. I must admit that I was a bit nervous; this being my first event talking about environmental justice and having the honor to be joined by the Duwamish Tribe and Front and Centered, a leader in EJ policy. We start off with some history on Seattle’s mega infrastructure projects, how they’ve shaped the region, and how we can work together to reduce future environmental impact!

Dave Chapman with the US Army Corps of Engineers gives a solid history of a massive undertaking, the resulting changes, and ongoing work at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, aka the Ballard Locks (or Lake Washington Ship Canal). The most recent project, replacing the 100+ year-old Stoney Gate Valves, is just one of their of many…Check out his presentation to learn how critical it is to maintain water levels and salinity!
Jolene Haas and Rosario-Maria Medina representing the Duwamish Tribe discuss their priorities, becoming more connected to the Duwamish River and expanding the Greenbelt Trail, while improving the identification of Seattle’s many cultural sites. They also share recent challenges facing South Seattle as new development displaces residents and does not adequately seek input from the Georgetown and South Park communities. Their words must inspire action in how we can do better as infrastructure professionals!
Sameer Ranade of Front and Centered brings the work of his organization focused on policy solutions centered on racial and economic justice into the infrastructure discussion. Topics include the importance of strong labor standards, enforcement of environmental laws, inclusive public investment strategy, accessible transportation, and the HEAL Act ‘creating’ a new Task Force to make policy recommendations. Sameer also shares their incredible tool for better understanding environmental justice, and why it is needed now! (link below)
Janae Huber shares her work with Olympians for People-Oriented Places (O-POP) to better shape new development in our cities. This process is full of challenges, but is needed to create an urban environment that supports sustainable & healthy growth, does not lead to displacement, and doesn’t encroach into the surrounding nature (aka sprawl).
As infrastructure professionals, we need to emphasize the importance of community engagement, and consider it essential to the success of any development project. Let’s all make it a priority to consult with the community and pertinent non-profit advocacy groups in the early design/conceptual phase of new projects to capture their insight, hear concerns, and better understand their needs!

Want to know more on environmental justice? Check out the work by Front and Centered to visualize it on their Washington Environmental Health Disparities Map!

Curious as to how much the Seattle region has changed? Well here are two great visualizations of how the Ice Age gifted us this beautiful landscape, and how much it has changed in the last 170 years (watch at 2x speed).

YouTube video
Technical glitch #3: Presenter video was not captured for some reason. Sorry ya’ll, we’ll do another one soon!
[ In a Nutshell ] IW2020: Seattle
Thanks again to all our 12,019 and 12,020 participants!
[ In a Nutshell ] IW2020: Seattle

IW2021 to the moon!

A very special thanks to our IW2020 presenters, as well as those being a part of the very first Infrastructure Week last year in Seattle! I appreciate everyone’s patience with a few (minor) technical glitches and my relentless banter; can’t wait to see us get together through various forums and continue the discussion. Together, we shall begin a better normal and #buildfortomorrow

Learn more about our partners below! …and don’t forget to help the many local non-profits, either through your dollar-donations or your volunteered time.
King County – Wastewater Treatment Division (Public Utility)
Seattle Public Utilities – Solid Waste and Drainage & Wastewater (Public Utility)
Seattle City Light (Public Utility)
Seattle Parks & Recreation (Public Utility)
Port of Seattle (Public Utility)
Sound Transit (Public Utility)
Recology (For-Profit Company)
Earth Economics (Non-Profit Org)
Introducing Youth to American Infrastructure (IYAI+) (Non-Profit Org)
Kiterocket (For-Profit Consultant)
Impact Bioenergy (For-Profit Company)
LIME (For-Profit Company)
SLR International (For-Profit Consultant)
SalmonSafe (Non-Profit Org)
Site Story (Non-Profit Org)
US Army Corps of Engineers (Government)
Duwamish Tribe (Non-Profit Org)
Front and Centered (Non-Profit Org)
Olympians for People Oriented Places (O-POP) (Non-Profit Org)
Commute Seattle (Non-Profit Org)
the BLOCK project & Facing Homelessness (Non-Profit Org)
Stewardship Partners (Non-Profit Org)
Seattle 2030 District (Non-Profit Org)

Did I miss something, or have a question?
Would you like to join the collaborative infrastructure awareness movement?
Does your organization need a project facilitator or integrated infrastructure advisor??
Contact us!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Great work Robert. I appreciate the thoroughness and the documentation of the presentations. I want to see this page as a historical timeline for the path forward with the hope to continue the in-person conference for the third annual. I hope you can help others expand Infrastructure Week to other large metro areas for their community to recognize the importance of infrastructure and sustainable building.

    • Thanks David! A fun event, and certainly many things to learn from…happy that we brought together so many diverse organizations under the single mission to bring forth awareness! IW2021 to the moon.