A newly-formed interdisciplinary community-academic-policy partnership is examining mobility challenges and opportunities among people living and working in South Beacon Hill.

With funding from the UW Population Health Initiative, Katherine Hoerster, PhD, and colleagues are partnering with the Seattle Department of Transportation to improve the three-mile multi-use Beacon Hill Trail (BHT). The team will use participatory research methods including community member photography-enhanced storytelling, community member-led interviews, and community member-partnered mobility audits measuring safety, comfort and pleasantness on and near the BHT. They will examine community partners’ perspectives regarding their experience in this collaboration, including perceived feasibility and usefulness of our processes for their future advocacy efforts.

Findings will inform a future participatory research grant proposal to study change in transportation choices, equitable mobility, various health indicators, social and economic well-being and resilience as transportation improvements are made in South Beacon Hill. Learn more