Sustainable Seattle’s Story
Sustainable Seattle was founded in 1991 by a dedicated group seeking to make sustainability work community-owned. Our UN award-winning Indicators for a Sustainable Community is emulated as a model of assessment by over 90 cities.
Founded in 1991
Intewreave Peers launch three major community co-designed multi-year projects bringing together grassroots organizing, research, design, policy, and inter-organizational collaboration, managed by S2: Soil Health & Justice Initiative, Just Circular Communities, and Healing with the Environment.
S2 adapts to the global pandemic with consistent programs that provide resources and analysis regarding public health, racial justice, and disaster preparedness. Interweave launches, which further refines S2’s incubator and RiSE programs into focused and streamlined capacity building accelerator program for visionary, community-led solutions to the most pressing sustainability challenges of our time.
S2 introduces participatory research and Think Tanks to the vibrant community networking and celebrations. The research results in quarterly summaries and analysis through Sound Listening and In Sight. The Campfire Stories theme is introduced to the Leadership Awards, using storytelling to inspire leadership from within our communities.
Our neighborhood initiatives gain focus with the Resilience, Sustainability and Equity emphasis, with specialized services to meet the specific needs of Frontline communities.
S2 adopts Seattle Green Drinks, one of the longest running and largest in the world. S2 continues to regularly convene the local sustainability community at happy hours and vibrant celebrations with live music and subject matter expert speakers.
The Green Blocks Blue Sound, Stormwater Solutions, and Depave projects put green infrastructure development into the hands of neighbors and community members.
S2 is tapped to lead a comprehensive assessment of well-being and engage and inspire people, organizations, and policymakers to action.
S2 introduces the STARs program to more directly embed social justice in the environmental and sustainability sector, and introduces workshops examining race in sustainability. S2 presents the first Sustainability Leadership Awards as SCOLA, the Sustainable Community Outstanding Leadership Awards. Community leadership is further supported with S2’s Incubator program.
S2 launches the B-Sustainable database and a focus on making indicators actionable with the Regional Sustainability Information Commons. S2 continues hosting community workshops for youth, neighborhoods, and the general public, producing Action Agendas and specialized participatory research programs.
S2 adds to its participatory research efforts with a “Center for Applied Sustainability” and begins consulting for sustainability projects worldwide. Shortly thereafter, S2 forms an alliance with Cascadia Consulting Group.