Grow Community

Location: Bainbridge Island, WA

Website: www.growbainbridge.com

As we looked around ourselves, and began to think, really think, about the way we live and the way we want to live, we found that there are many things still to be done.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have solar panels on the roof? Wouldn’t it be great if the kids could safely walk to school? And the library? And the ice cream store? What if we had more time to garden, and wouldn’t it be nice to know the neighbors?

So we began to ask our friends, if you could describe the perfect neighborhood, what would it look like? And we found so many answers. So we set out to create a new kind of place to live. For ourselves and for others.

Over the last year, we have created a vision of a connected urban community, where people of all generations and a diversity of economic means can live mindful of their impact on the planet, in a neighborhood where environmental, economic and social sustainability are equally valued and where all people can focus on creating abundance, in their relationships to others, to nature and to the community.

But our vision is not complete. There is still so much to do, so much to learn and so much possibility. Each day we create more ideas and challenge ourselves to do better.

We’ve figured out how to provide net-zero energy homes. But what about transportation? We think we’ve figured that out too, but we’ll learn more as we test out our plans. How can we most effectively reduce water use? Increase local food consumption? What kind of playgrounds will our children like best?

How shall we design the community center so it really does become that welcoming ‘third place’ where neighbors gather and connect?

Please join us in helping to shape this community, with your ideas, your vision, your enthusiasm. It takes a village. Let’s grow one.

Commute Seattle

Location: Seattle, WA

Website: www.urbanresearch.org

Commute Seattle is a not-for-profit Transportation Management Association (TMA) working to provide alternatives to drive-alone commute trips into Downtown Seattle’s 10 neighborhoods. We are a 501c(4) not-for-profit, public-private partnership commissioned, funded, and governed by an Advisory Board of executive leaders from the Downtown Seattle Association, King County Metro, and the City of Seattle.

We seek to reduce the drive-alone commute rate in Downtown Seattle to 30% by 2016, making Seattle a strong leader among peer cities in supporting alternatives to driving alone.

Commute Seattle is committed to delivering transportation services that not only reduce congestion and support increased commuter options, but also support business objectives in greater Downtown. These services include:

- Transportation consultations to support a property or small business’ assessment of its transportation benefit program elements,

- Offering a range of services and commute option products tailored to individual business needs,Education and marketing of transportation information to businesses and commuters; and

-Marketing and selling ORCA Business Passport to Downtown employers.

Sustainable Northwest

Location: Oregon and Washington

Website: www.sustainablenorthwest.org

We envision a thriving Northwest with strong communities, vibrant economies, and healthy and productive landscapes.

We are a non-profit organization based in Portland, Oregon that bridges multiple stakeholders to solve natural resource management issues in rural communities. Founded in 1994, Sustainable Northwest is a pioneer in solving problems through collaboration and has grown into one of the most trusted organizations working at the intersection of the environment, economy, and community.

Sustainable Northwest brings people, ideas, and innovation together so that nature, local economies, and rural communities can thrive.

Our work results in restored ecosystems, living wage jobs, and better relationships among diverse groups of people.

We work with communities to innovate and solve critical natural resource challenges. Our unique approach is to listen, learn, build trust, and be invested in the long term success of the communities and region we serve.

Solutions are drawn from local knowledge and are crafted in collaboration with diverse groups and serve to promote innovation in business, renewable energy, and natural resource management.

We work with rural leaders, small business owners, federal and state level policy makers and agencies, landowners, tribes, farmers, ranchers, conservationists, and environmentalists across the West.