Urban design/environment

AN ACT Relating to environmentally sustainable urban design; 1
adding new sections to chapter 43.21A RCW; and creating a new 2
section. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) Washington state intends to lead the 5
world in the quality of life and the environmental attributes of its 6
cities. The legislature recognizes that major environmental health 7
disparities exist within urban areas and that the architectural 8
design of urban areas plays a critical role in the function and 9
health of the ecosystems they inhabit.10
(2) The legislature also finds that the built environment itself 11
can be a cause of various forms of pollution that harm humans and 12
wildlife. These forms of pollution include, but are not limited to, 13
noise pollution, light pollution, water pollution through impervious 14
surfaces that channel untreated stormwater runoff to waterways, and 15
building materials that radiate heat causing an urban heat island 16
effect. While regulation, incentives, investments, and innovations in 17
the energy and transportation sector will begin to address harmful 18
air emissions in urban areas, the state recognizes that additional 19
policy leadership and creativity must be directed to reducing these 20
H-0777.1
HOUSE BILL 1742
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Dye, Doglio, Fitzgibbon, Zahn, Parshley, Duerr,
and Pollet
Read first time 01/30/25. Referred to Committee on Environment &
Energy.
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additional forms of pollution that are a by-product of a densely 1
built urban environment. 2
(3) The legislature further finds that there are significant 3
opportunities for incorporating architectural and landscape design in 4
urban areas and the built environment with myriad environmental and 5
health benefits. These benefits include increased biodiversity, air 6
quality, and harmonization with the natural environment, along with 7
decreased energy use and mitigation of harmful impacts of buildings. 8
Design approaches that promote these benefits include green and 9
sustainable architecture, which focus on reducing negative impacts 10
from buildings, biophilic architecture, which seeks to better connect 11
occupants with nature, and regenerative architecture, which involves 12
buildings capable of breaking down at end-of-life, to a net 13
ecological benefit. These design approaches can be achieved at the 14
landscape and neighborhood scale to also incorporate parks, 15
recreation areas, and walkable amenities with more permeable and 16
natural surfaces that draw communities together. 17
(4) Therefore, the legislature intends to create a center for 18
sustainable urban design to provide leadership, to inspire the public 19
with new possibilities for environmentally sustainable urban spaces, 20
to generate policy solutions, and to identify potential projects that 21
would make measurable improvement in environmental outcomes.22
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 43.21A 23
RCW to read as follows: 24
(1) The center for environmentally sustainable urban design is 25
created in the department for the purpose of encouraging the use of 26
architectural and landscape design to promote health and 27
sustainability in built environments within first-class cities and 28
other urban areas. 29
(2) The duties of the center include, but are not limited to:30
(a) Advocating for environmentally sustainable urban design;31
(b) Coordinating with elected leaders and the private sector to 32
achieve renewed urban spaces that improve public health and 33
environmental outcomes; 34
(c) Encouraging workforce development for related fields;35
(d) Identifying priority projects; 36
(e) Providing recommendations on potential priority projects to 37
state agencies and local government entities, upon request;38
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(f) Coordinating a biennial design competition for a designated 1
priority project, with the successful contestant demonstrating the 2
specific health and sustainability benefits achievable in that 3
location through environmentally sustainable urban design;4
(g) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated, awarding 5
grants on a competitive basis for priority projects that implement 6
environmentally sustainable urban design; and 7
(h) Studying, exploring, developing, and promoting ideas that 8
could inform improvements in design by incorporating the values of 9
reintegrating urban living within the greater ecosystem.10
(3) The center shall establish criteria for the selection of 11
successful applicants under subsection (2) (f) and (g) of this 12
section. The center shall take into consideration any recommendations 13
by the advisory council established in subsection (5) of this section 14
in the final selection of awardees or grantees. The criteria for a 15
successful applicant should at a minimum include: 16
(a) Providing compelling vision to the public and elected leaders 17
of how investment in the parcel could provide health, ecological, and 18
aesthetic benefits consistent with the purposes of the center's 19
mission; 20
(b) Demonstrating the specific health and sustainability benefits 21
achievable in that location through environmentally sustainable urban 22
design; and 23
(c) Documenting the basis of claims regarding specific outcomes 24
for health and the environment. 25
(4) The first competition coordinated under subsection (2)(f) of 26
this section must be for a priority project that: 27
(a) Is located on a multiacre parcel within three miles of the 28
state capitol campus; 29
(b) Was previously used for commercial purposes in the beverage 30
processing or manufacturing industry; 31
(c) Has not been inhabited or used for commercial purposes for at 32
least 20 years; and 33
(d) Has experienced damage from a fire. 34
(5)(a) The advisory council on environmentally sustainable urban 35
design is created, consisting of 10 members to be appointed by the 36
director of the center. In making the appointments, the director 37
shall seek an advisory council membership that reflects a balanced 38
representation of interests and backgrounds. 39
(b) The members of the advisory council must: 40
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(i) Have experience, or demonstrate significant familiarity, in 1
urban planning, green building design, sustainable architecture, or 2
similar subject areas; and 3
(ii) Be from each of the congressional districts existing in the 4
state as of January 1, 2025. 5
(c) The advisory council shall: 6
(i) In accordance with the criteria established under subsection 7
(3) of this section, review and recommend applicants for grants or 8
competitions coordinated or awarded by the center; and9
(ii) Provide advice and guidance on the annual work plan of the 10
center. 11
(d) The chair of the advisory council must be elected from among 12
its members by a simple majority vote. 13
(e) The director of the center shall convene the first meeting by 14
June 1, 2026. Thereafter, the chair of the advisory council shall 15
schedule meetings and establish the agenda. The advisory council 16
shall meet at least quarterly. 17
(f) Staff support for the advisory council is provided by the 18
department. 19
(g) Members of the advisory council shall serve without 20
compensation, but are entitled to reimbursement for travel expenses 21
in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060. The advisory council 22
may use such personnel and facilities of the department as necessary 23
to carry out its duties under this section. 24
(6) For the purposes of this section, the following definitions 25
apply: 26
(a) "First-class cities" has the same meaning as provided under 27
RCW 35.01.010. 28
(b) "Environmentally sustainable urban design" means an approach 29
to urban planning and architecture that minimizes the harmful effects 30
of humans and their built spaces on the environment. The approach may 31
be characterized by incorporating natural vegetation on the exterior 32
of buildings and in public rights-of-way to create ecological 33
benefits, including but not limited to the following: Absorption of 34
carbon dioxide, production of oxygen, reduction in the urban heat 35
island effect, filtering stormwater runoff, and increasing urban 36
biodiversity. "Environmentally sustainable urban design" includes 37
sustainable, biophilic, and regenerative architecture, and may be 38
demonstrated by: 39
(i) The United States green building council rating system;40
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(ii) The international green construction code; or1
(iii) Other reasonably equivalent standards used by professionals 2
in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, urban 3
planning, civil engineering, and related disciplines, approved by the 4
department in consultation with the department of commerce.5
(c) "Priority project" means a parcel or parcels within an urban 6
area with significant potential for improvement in ecological 7
benefits or public health measures due to: 8
(i) Dilapidation by being in a state of disrepair, disuse, or 9
neglect; or 10
(ii) Falling within an area of the environmental health disparities 11
map that is experiencing higher than the median environmental health 12
disparities. 13
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 43.21A 14
RCW to read as follows: 15
The environmentally sustainable urban design account is created 16
in the state treasury. All receipts directed to the account from 17
federal funds, gifts, or grants from private or public sectors, 18
foundations, or other sources for competitions and grants under 19
section 2 of this act must be deposited into the account. Moneys in 20
the account may be spent only after appropriation. Expenditures from 21
the account may be used only for the purposes of section 2 (2) (f) or 22
(g) of this act. 23
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