My individual population health topic is art and architecture. For this topic I was focusing on the building structure, murals, and street art/signs. I felt that a majority of these entities were assets to the neighborhood because they provide a glimpse into the culture of the area. Without this art and style of architecture, this area would not be recognizable as Chinatown. However, because so many buildings are older to preserve the history, the structure may not be as strong as newer buildings. This could be a bit of a barrier. I would give this neighborhood a 4 for this asset only because some of the buildings are old which could cause structural issues in the future. 

My individual population health topic was housing, homelessness, and encampments which meant that I tried to make specific observations about unhoused populations, the availability of housing, and potential encampments within our neighborhood. I decided that the affordable housing within my neighborhood was an asset because there are several realtors/development offices in the international district and one company, SCIDpda, rents out nearly 500 units of affordable housing in the neighborhood which shows that many resources are available. However, the unhoused population/lack of shelters in the neighborhood is a serious barrier. The city recently shut down the only shelter in the area due to complaints that it had increased crime in the international district. This clear absence of resources constitutes a significant barrier for the neighborhood as high crime rates remain despite the shelter closure and the unhoused population is now forced out onto the streets. 

My individual population health topic was transportation and urban planning. The things I focused on observing were the sidewalks, public transit, and parking. The sidewalks were somewhat of a barrier, although all the streets had sidewalks, which is the most important thing. Some were uneven and narrow, which would be challenging for people with limited mobility. There were tree roots sticking up, and some scattered garbage too. However, some of the curbs had ramps, which is good for improving mobility. I would consider public transit to be a good asset. The neighborhood’s lightrail station is well connected to the Amtrack and bus systems, and there is sufficient route information so people can figure out where to go. The lightrail connects to the airport, as well as North Seattle and further North. The cost to ride is a flat fee of only $3, which is more affordable than many other cities. There are also bus routes that run through the neighborhood and connect to Pioneer Square, First Hill, Central District, and more. Parking is somewhat of a barrier. There are some small parking lots, but the prices are high, the ground is uneven, and they are not well lit. Street parking is quite limited too, as the streets are narrow with a lot of driveways, fire hydrants, and stop signs that limit parking. I did not observe many empty spaces during my visit, and I saw multiple cars struggling to parallel park which disrupted traffic flow. 

My individual topic was health. I was considering if people were physically active, the number of clinics in the area, and linguistics (because of mental health concerns I had found when researching the topic). I thought that the physical activity level of the area was a barrier because very few people were utilizing sidewalks to walk places which during research I had found this would likely be the case due to the perceived danger level of the area. The number of clinics was high, while these were less western medicine and more traditional alternative options, I would argue this is an asset because there are many options for people to seek help with their physical and mental health concerns. The language barrier seems neutral because it seems to be a factor that does not impact everyone within the community, but given that it does impact a high enough on the population that there are translated healthcare options. 

My individual health topic was ‘Race, Ethnicity, and Culture.’ The particular entities I focused on are the variation in ethnic groups as well as convenience stores, restaurants, stores, markets, and grocery stores (which are related to culture). The International District is extremely diverse. 47.5% of the population is Asian, 27.7% is White, and 12.1% is Black. Around half of the population consists of immigrants, in which 42.4% were born in China, followed by other countries like The Philippines, Kenya, Vietnam, Somalia, Japan, Korea, Ethiopia, and Canada. This diversity mainly poses as an asset because it provides the community with a variety of different perspectives which helps expose people to a variety of cultures. The International District is also culturally diverse, especially with food and merchandise. The streets were lined with convenience stores, cafes, shops, and restaurants which each specialized in a particular culture. These also proved to be assets because it allows residents and visitors to explore different cultures whether it be through getting oba at a boba shop or eating Thai food at a Thai restaurant.