Executing on the Vision: Using Codes to Support Holistic Transit-Oriented Communities

Session 6E | Thursday | 4:00 – 5:15 PM (PT)

About the Session

Across the state, transit investments are aimed to combat climate change, support new and expanded walkable districts, jobs, park amenities and plentiful affordable housing. This panel will explore what it takes to execute on the high caliber vision established for Transit Oriented Communities and how lessons from around the region are informing future codes. Examples will include 1) the NE 85th Street Station Subarea Plan in Kirkland and 2) the Model Code Partnership between Sound Transit and Lynnwood, Everett, and Snohomish County to develop and adopt policies and regulations to support transit-oriented development. Discussion will include lessons from the use of model policies, and regulations to implement equitable transit-oriented development and climate action. Projects took different approaches to setting requirements, engaging with the community, and rezoning. Local jurisdiction, transit agency, and private sector panelists will share thoughts around high performance, market feasibility, and the level of expectations commensurate with transit investment.

About the Speaker

Erin Ishizaki, AICP

WA State Department of Commerce

Erin Christensen Ishizaki is an urban planner and architect who partners with cities, agencies, trusts, and developers to put people first in support of strong economies and resilient environments. With over 20 years’ experience advancing healthy housing, transit-oriented development and high-performance districts, Erin understands the power of collaboration. She knows that business success and social good are not at odds – in fact, the most successful plans and strategies use an inclusive, holistic approach to maximize investment for all. Erin’s award-winning work includes the widely published Mariposa Redevelopment Plan and Healthy Living Initiative that has dramatically improved resident outcomes; the Sustainable Little Tokyo Vision Plan for business and cultural resilience in the face of light rail expansion; and the Edison Eastlake One Vision Plan for an inclusive, heat-resilient Phoenix district. Erin directed the NE 85th Street Station Area Plan, a proactive plan to support community benefit through sustainable, transit-oriented development. Erin leads Mithun’s Design for Health Initiative, and her practice actively integrates research and shapes industry standards including the EcoDistricts Protocol and Enterprise Green Communities Criteria. A national advocate for health equity, Erin has led over eight large-scale development and district health equity assessments and strategies.

Allison Zike, AICP

City of Kirkland

Allison Zike is the Deputy Planning & Building Director with the City of Kirkland, Washington. Allison has served as the City’s project manager for the NE 85th St Station Area planning process since 2019, supporting the City’s appointed and elected officials through a highly complex planning process resulting in substantial increases to housing and jobs capacity in the subarea. Prior to working with the City’s long-range planning division, Allison spent 6 years in the City’s development review group focusing on residential and commercial projects. Allison has a Master of City and Regional Planning from Cal Poly, SLO and a Bachelor of Science in Community and Regional Development from the University of California, Davis.

Miranda L Redinger, AICP

Sound Transit

Miranda Redinger was born in Bluegrass, Virginia and attended the University of Virginia School of Architecture when William McDonough was the dean. His concepts of “waste equals food” and “cradle-to-cradle” design have inspired her work ever since. She served as an Americorps volunteer in Ashland, OR working for a community land trust before becoming the Planning and Zoning Administrator for a rural County in the mountains of Virginia. She moved to Washington in 2007 and worked as a land use planner for the City of Shoreline, where she led subarea planning for two light rail stations that will open there next year. In 2019 she started working for Sound Transit, where she is a High Capacity Transit Development Manager on the Everett Link Extension, which is scheduled to add 16 miles of track and seven new stations to the network in 2037.

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