Plans to clean up the lower Duwamish River, which is on the federal Superfund list, are currently being undertaken by various government, business and community organizations. The Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition (DRCC) is facilitating a visioning project that will advise in the cleanup in order to insure that it reflects the needs and the goals of the local residents, businesses and others whose lives are centered in the Duwamish Valley. While this project will naturally include the usual business and community stakeholders, my study will focus particularly on those groups who have been historically left off of the agenda or the planning process, yet have been a constant part of Duwamish life. Connecting with the more disenfranchised Duwamish populations will be a challenge in cross-cultural communication as much as it will be with access, but it is crucial that these voices become an active component of the planning process for the sake of human health, economic and environmental justice.

Study Learning Goals

• Investigate and develop a form of inquiry that communicates with a culturally and economically diverse section of the population who has been traditionally underserved and underrepresented in community planning projects. 
• Observe and reflect on this collaborative process in order to understand it, but also to gauge its efficacy based on our ability to bring more voices to the table.
• Compile a database of others’ surveys, maps and other documents related to our work in order to see the direction that others have taken. 
• Gain a deeper understanding of the overall planning process, paying special attention to those areas where we may be most effective at animating change.

Foundational Reading:

• Agyeman, J. (2005). Sustainable Communities and the Challenge of Environmental Justice. New York University Press   
• Pellow, D., Brulle, R. (eds.). (2005). Power, Justice, and the Environment: A Critical Appraisal of the Environmental Justice Movement. MIT Press

Supplemental Research:

• Various surveys and studies conducted for the EPA, Dept. of Ecology, the city and the county.
• Documents relating to other river cleanup plans.