The Participatory Active Transportation for Health in South Seattle (PATHSS) Study is a University of Washington study funded by the UW Population Health Initiative. This project is in partnership with community-led groups: Beacon Hill Safe Streets and Seattle Neighborhood Greenways.

The goal of PATHSS is to understand and address mobility challenges and opportunities in Beacon Hill, a historically non-white working-class neighborhood in South Seattle. The work of PATHSS is centered around the perspectives and needs of people of color. One aim is to get people's viewpoints on the Beacon Avenue Trail (the multi-use path along the center median of Beacon Ave. S, that begins on S Columbian Way and continues south for about three miles). Community spaces, such as the Beacon Avenue Trail, are at risk of change without the input of its current residents. And with the rapid demographic shifts in neighborhoods like Beacon Hill, it's all the more important to seek, collect, and share the perspectives and experiences of those most impacted by these changes.

We used participatory research methods guided by the principles of mobility justice which includes: youth photography-enhanced storytelling (photovoice), interviews with Beacon Hill stakeholders and community members, and mobility audits.

Youth short film

What we heard from community