In alignment with the Duwamish Valley Action Plan and feedback from the community, the Georgetown Healthy Food Initiative (GHFI) was formed to improve access to healthy food in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood. GHFI is largely composed of people who live and work in Georgetown, and allies with community organizations, neighbors, and local food producers, suppliers, and vendors.
In the midst of the Georgetown neighborhood, Watershed Community Development (our fiscal sponsor) is spearheading the development of an affordable Live/Work District called “The Bend”. Over the next 10 years in the space of eight square blocks (straddling Fourth Avenue South, roughly between South Dawson Street to the north and South Fidalgo Street to the south), Watershed Community Development will collaboratively develop a Live/Work District that centers diversity, affordability, sustainability, art, and livability. When fully realized, the Live/Work District will include approximately 1,000 new units to house 2,000-2,500 people and over 150,000 square feet of affordable community space at street level. At least 85% of the housing units will be affordable to households earning no more than 60% of the area median income. Ground level commercial spaces will provide daily life amenities currently lacking in the Georgetown neighborhood: grocery, childcare, a food bank, and green spaces. Watershed will also develop a neighborhood park with a community garden, playground, and recreational opportunities.
This development will roughly double community residency in Georgetown in the coming decade, in a neighborhood characterized as a food apartheid for low- and middle-income residents. An equitable food bank and food hub are community-identified imperatives in the District Master Plan. GHFI has been tasked with understanding these food access components by engaging the community to ensure their needs are reflected and these aspects of the plan are implemented as intended.
Food plays an integral role in cultural identity, serving as a link to one’s heritage, sharing stories, and fostering connections between people. Growing and sharing food with our neighbors not only fuels our bodies with energizing ingredients but also enables us to forge a meaningful connection with the land. While Georgetown is home to many unique restaurants and food creatives, there is still a significant gap in providing direct access to fresh, local, and healthy groceries for those who work and live in Georgetown.
There are approximately 28,000 industrial jobs and only 1,800 living units in Georgetown currently. Residents, workers, and artists must commute at least three miles to grocery stores, which are located on steep and unsafe roads. With a projected growth of 2,000 new residences in the next decade, there is an unclear path for providing better access to fresh produce. Even with commercial grocers likely to migrate to the growing community, research has proven that access to traditional supermarkets does not improve dietary health. Instead, these stores promote cheap and processed food while continuing unsustainable carbon-intensive distribution. One solution to this problem is healthy, locally sourced, and affordable food which can come in many forms: food-sheds, food banks, pre-made and distributed meals, farmer’s markets, community gardens, produce stands, and alternative grocers. Georgetown needs help finding a feasible food-sourcing strategy that is supported by those who will be using the
services.
Recognizing the linguistic and cultural diversity of Georgetown, it is imperative that our food interventions are not only accessible but also culturally resonant. The predominant languages spoken—Mandarin, Cantonese, and Spanish—highlight the vibrant tapestry of our community. To truly address the unique needs of our residents, workers, and artists, we must ensure that the proposed food interventions embrace the cultural diversity embedded in the daily lives of those we aim to serve. This involves not only providing language-specific resources but also tailoring the types of food interventions to align with the diverse culinary traditions present in the community.
As we embark on this endeavor, we recognize that we are not alone. Our initial goal is to connect with those who have already begun this research and assess the progress that has been made thus far. To achieve this, we plan to gather data from the City of Seattle, collaborate with healthy food experts, and gain insight into business strategies for funding and sustaining a food organization. This will allow us to establish a list of potential partners and sponsors for future projects. Subsequent phases of our research involve engaging with the community and empowering community members to be decision-makers. This involves collecting surveys and stories from Georgetown households, participating in local events to gain insights into ongoing initiatives, and organizing eclectic events that exchange recipes and invite people to the communal dinner table.
Our primary goal is to determine the most suitable type of food intervention for the Georgetown neighborhood and establish a team of stewards who will continue leading the next steps in providing healthy food to the vibrant community of artists and dreamers who call Georgetown home.
