Loutsis 1

Introduction
Seattle’s Northgate neighborhood was first inhabited by the Dahish people, an offshoot of the
indigenous Duwamish (Brown et al., 2021). Now, Northgate is an active urban center that works
to meet the needs of its residents through concentrated development. In the neighborhood, there
are examples of public service leadership across sectors and Bottom Lines. Traditionally, public
service has been defined as government employment or the provision of services to the public
(Horton, 2008). Another definition has described public service as the motivation of those who
feel a responsibility to contribute to the welfare of others and to the common good of the
community (Horton, 2008). This broader definition – and the one I will be adopting for this
analysis – means that public service leadership can occur across sectors and can be embodied by
organizations as well as individuals. Sectors include the community sector (non-profit),
government sector (public), and business sector (for-profit) (Herranz, 2023). Community growth
is now being tracked and measured through the Quadruple Bottom Line (QBL), a metric that
considers the financial, social, environmental, and cultural health of the community (Elkington,
2018; Hawkes, 2001). This analysis will apply the QBL to the Northgate neighborhood.
Specifically, it will identify examples of public service leadership – in this case, those who
contribute to elements of the QBL and the overall health and welfare of their community – across
sectors in each Bottom Line and how organizations or sectors often work together to address the
needs of the community.

Financial Bottom Line

The Financial Bottom Line (FBL) may be thought of as the economic growth of a particular
entity (in this case, the Northgate neighborhood) and is sometimes mistakenly characterized as
merely “profit” (Herranz, 2023; Elkington, 2018). The FBL is more nuanced and goes beyond
just dollars. Financial measurements could include changes in businesses, access to economic
opportunities, number of jobs, etc. (Cargal-Bley et al., 2021). There are a number of examples of
public service leaders across sectors helping to increase the community’s FBL in Northgate.

In the public sector, Northgate is home to a Washington Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

(DVR) office. This office aims to help community members prepare for, get, keep, and advance
in a job (Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, 2023). Northgate also
hosts the King County Veterans Program (KCVP), a service that connects the community’s
veterans with financial assistance and employment opportunities (King County, 2023). These
two organizations are an example of public sector organizations improving Northgate’s FBL by
directly preparing and connecting community members with jobs. Another organization active in
the community and supporting the growth of the FBL through job preparation and economic
development is WorkSource. WorkSource is a cross-sector partnership between the public and
non-profit sectors, bringing together state, local and non-profit organizations to provide
employment and training services to job seekers and employers in Washington (WorkSource,
2023). In this case, WorkSource improves Northgate’s FBL by assisting individuals and
 Loutsis 2

businesses to be more economically successful. For-profit businesses in the neighborhood

promote local financial growth as well. Some of the new apartment complexes in Northgate are
mixed-use and provide space to house local businesses. At the same time, many of these
developments, such as Lane Apartments, Thornton Place, and others, actively advertise local
businesses and restaurants to their residents and visitors, promoting their use and stimulating
local economic growth. Northgate Station is another for-profit organization that grows the
community’s FBL. The shopping center, owned by Simon Property Group, is home to a dense
concentration of restaurants and businesses (Simon Property Group, 2023). Northgate Station
advertises for these businesses and their close proximity to one another makes the shopping
center an attractive place to shop for consumers in the area. All the business the shopping center
brings in, as well as all the jobs it centers in Northgate, improve the FBL of the neighborhood.

Lane Apartments advertising local businesses in Northgate on its website and to its residents.

Organizations across all three sectors actively support economic development in Northgate.
Whether it be direct job preparation and assistance, employer training and business development,
advertisement, organization, access to locations, or other services, these public, non-profit, and
for-profit groups are increasing the FBL of the community by supporting local businesses and
economic development. They, along with other examples that were not mentioned, are exhibits
of public service leaders. This is because they are taking steps to contribute to the welfare of
others and the common good of the community. In this instance, they are actively helping their
neighbors by supporting their businesses and livelihoods as well as the local common good by
strengthening economic opportunities and the health of the community through its Financial
Bottom Line. There are tradeoffs and challenges to this that must be considered. A
 Loutsis 3

well-supported business district may outgrow its neighborhood, and as they become more
desirable and potentially higher-end, cause unintended gentrification and displacement of
existing residents in the neighborhood. Through strategic planning, displacement can be
minimized and FBL growth can be used to benefit and lift up all members of the community.
With so much support in preparing individuals for jobs, there could be a gap in workers for
lower-skilled jobs. Lower-skilled jobs or labor-based jobs are still necessary for a community.
Focusing on helping residents prepare and find better jobs may still leave this line of work in
need which could have unintended consequences for the development of the community.

A table listing the local organizational examples and impacts on the FBL.
Action Examples

Financial Bottom Line Job preparation ● DVR

● KCVP
● WorkSource

Business development ● WorkSource

● Private developments
● Northgate Station

Commercial organization ● Northgate Station

Social Bottom Line

The Social Bottom Line (SBL) is the growth in social services, or the “people” factors, that
improve Northgate (Cargal-Bley et al., 2021; Herranz, 2023). Social measurements can involve
access to affordable housing, public safety, education, etc. (Cargal-Bley et al., 2021). In regard to
Northgate, there are a number of examples of public service leaders across sectors helping
increase the community’s SBL.

Affordable housing is a social feature that sees attention from all sectors. One example of public
sector support of the SBL comes from the Seattle Housing Authority (SHA). The SHA has
acquired and developed properties in Northgate, including their Cedarvale House and Cedarvale
Village developments, in order to provide hundreds of units of low-income housing to Northgate
(Seattle Housing Authority, 2023). There are similar non-profit developments in the
neighborhood that also offer affordable housing to the community. One example of this is
Meridian Manor, which provides a completely affordable, low-income apartment complex in the
neighborhood (Bellwether Housing, 2023). Even for-profit developments in Northgate offer
affordable housing by participating in Seattle’s Multifamily Tax Exemption program (MFTE)
that incentivizes private developers to set aside some of their units to be affordable (e.g., Lane
Apartments, and The Enclave at Northgate). The SBL is addressed beyond affordable housing.
Other organizations in Northgate provide different social services, such as health care, education,
youth and family programs, and more. The University of Washington Medicine (a public
 Loutsis 4

institution) has a large presence in the neighborhood, with a medical center, lab, and family clinic
on the first floor of Thornton Place (UW Medicine, 2023). Kaiser Permanente (a consortium of
non-profits and for-profit entities) and Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) (a non-profit)
are also present in the community, with medical centers and clinics (Kaiser Permanente, 2023;
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, 2023). As for education, Northgate is home to all levels of
education, represented across all sectors, including Cascadia Elementary (public), Olympic View
Elementary (public), Robert Eagle Staff Middle School (public), Bishop Blanchet High School
(non-profit), North Seattle College (public), Pima Medical Institute (for-profit), and others
(Seattle Public Schools, 2023; Bishop Blanchet High School, 2017; North Seattle College, 2023;
Pima Medical Institute, 2023). In addition to housing, healthcare, and education, Northgate also
has the Northgate Community Center, which offers after-school programs, fitness and sports
facilities, childcare services, preschool, teens programs, assorted educational and recreational
programs, public wifi, and more (City of Seattle, 2023).

The VMFH clinic in the Kraken Community Iceplex.

All three sectors support social development in Northgate. This support may appear as affordable
housing, healthcare services, education, community programming, or many other forms. The
public, non-profit, and for-profit examples increase Northgate’s SBL by offering these services
and increasing social development. They, and others, are examples of public service leaders. As
organizations take steps to contribute to the social welfare of others and the common good of the
community, they identify themselves as public service leaders. They are actively supporting their
community members as well as the common good of the neighborhood by providing
much-needed social opportunities that contribute to the overall health of the community through
 Loutsis 5

its Social Bottom Line. Similar to the FBL, there are tradeoffs and challenges that must be
considered. A community with robust social services and opportunities is more desirable to
outside residents, leading to gentrification and displacement of existing community members
(Huizar, 2023). Balancing the provision of necessary social services with preventing
displacement can be difficult and requires community input and participation to identify
appropriate strategies. Targeted and focused development earmarked for preventing displacement
is one method of preventing it. To prevent the displacement of low-income residents, affordable
housing can be ensured in future developments, as discussed above. To prevent the displacement
of older residents, senior-specific communities can be developed, as is the case with Aljoya in
Northgate (Era Living, 2023).

A table listing the local organizational examples and impacts on the SBL.
Action Examples

Social Bottom Line Affordable Housing ● Private developments

● SHA
● Meridian Manor

Healthcare ● UW Medicine
● Kaiser Permanente
● VMFH

Education ● Cascadia Elementary

● Olympic View
Elementary
● Robert Eagle Staff
Middle School
● Bishop Blanchet High
School
● North Seattle College
● Pima Medical Institute

Assorted Services ● Northgate Community

Center

Environmental Bottom Line

The Environmental Bottom Line (EBL) focuses on the “planet,” or green development of
Northgate (Cargal-Bley et al., 2021, Herranz, 2023). Environmental measurements may include
the amount of green space, exposure to environmental hazards, change in land use, etc. in the
community (Cargal-Bley et al., 2021). In regard to Northgate, there are a number of examples of
public service leaders across sectors contributing to Environmental Bottom Line growth and
keeping sustainability in mind when developing in the neighborhood.
 Loutsis 6

Beginning with the public sector, the City of Seattle has improved the EBL in Northgate in at
least two ways. First, they maintain much of the greenspace in the community, including local
p-patches and parks such as Licton Springs Park, Mineral Springs Park, Beaver Pond Natural
Area, Licton Springs P-Patch, Maple Leaf Community Garden, and others. Sustaining these
greenspaces and including more are an observable way to improve the community’s EBL. A
second, less obvious source of the city’s impact on the EBL is strategic planning. Targeting
density to certain areas (e.g., transit-oriented development), including environmental design
standards in building codes, and making city infrastructure more accessible to greener means of
transportation (e.g., walking, biking, electric vehicles, etc.) are all methods of city planning that
directly impact and improve the community’s EBL (Bristol et al., 2023). A significant example
of this is the John Lewis Memorial Bridge, a joint endeavor between the City of Seattle, the
Washington State Department of Transportation, and North Seattle College. The bridge is a
pedestrian/bicycle bridge and an example of changing the rules of the game. Traditionally,
development has been auto-oriented and cars defined the rules, but this recent project is
pedestrian and bicycle-oriented, promoting a healthier, more sustainable way to travel (Herranz,
2023). Similarly, Sound Transit and King County Metro contribute to the neighborhood’s EBL
with their provision of public transportation, including light rail and metro services. Increasing
the accessibility of mass transit reduces greenhouse gas-emitting vehicles on roadways. All three
sectors fulfill this strategy by concentrating themselves and their denser developments in areas
near public transit. An important non-profit in Northgate focused on the EBL is the Thornton
Creek Alliance (TCA), a non-profit dedicated to protecting the local environment and watershed.
TCA has been instrumental in advocating for and restoring Thornton Creek, bringing together
the City of Seattle, King County, Washington State, Simon Property Group, and other private
developers for a cross-sector restoration of the creek and the creation of an improved water
quality channel and bioswale (Herranz, 2023). In the for-profit sector, newer developments (e.g.,
Thornton Place, Aljoya, Lane Apartments, The Enclave, etc.) include the most up-to-date
sustainable design standards and concentrate population growth, which preserves existing
greenspace in and around the neighborhood. Another example of for-profit sector actions that
help the environment was the construction of a multi-story parking garage for Northgate Station.
Originally, the shopping center relied on large surface lots of impervious pavement, but in recent
years have constructed a garage that maximizes a smaller area and allows those other spaces to
be more effectively developed (Conlin, 2023).
 Loutsis 7

Thornton Creek water quality channel.

All three sectors have effectively and successfully used transit-oriented development strategies in
Northgate. They have maximized density and location, bringing more residents closer to transit
and ultimately resulting in more sustainable community planning. The public, non-profit, and
for-profit examples increase Northgate’s EBL by utilizing environmental development practices
and cross-sector collaboration. These examples, along with others, demonstrate public service
leadership by taking steps to contribute to the environmental welfare of the community. This
improves the overall health of the community and environment through their Environmental
Bottom Line. There are a number of tradeoffs with these strategies. Environmental preservation
and tree-canopy retention are in tension with providing affordable housing (Herranz, 2023).
Providing the affordable housing a community needs oftentimes comes at the expense of tree
canopy and greenspace. Denser development may also limit community members’ access to
owning property and creating wealth if future developments primarily consist of apartments.
Developers across all sectors have an opportunity to continue to use green building features, such
as rooftop gardens, weatherization, and additional green building certifications (e.g., LEED).

A table listing the local organizational examples and impacts on the EBL.
Action Examples

Environmental Bottom Line Public Transit ● Sound Transit

 Loutsis 8

● King County Metro

Improved Infrastructure ● City of Seattle

TOD ● City of Seattle

● Private developments
● Northgate Station

Greenspaces ● City of Seattle

● TCA

Cultural Bottom Line

The Cultural Bottom Line (CBL) focuses on the cultural or “purpose” development and
preservation in Northgate (Cargal-Bley et al., 2021; Herranz, 2023). Cultural growth can be
measured by public art, cultural organizations, community festivals, etc. in the community
(Cargal-Bley et al., 2021). In Northgate, there are a number of examples of public service leaders
across sectors contributing to cultural preservation and growth in the neighborhood.

Public sector examples of organizations that address the CBL include North Seattle College, the
City of Seattle, King County, and the State of Washington. North Seattle College embraces
community art. The exterior of its buildings is covered in murals, while sculptures are present
throughout the campus. In this way, the college supports the local culture by sharing the arts. The
City of Seattle supports local culture by basing its Public Access TV out of North Seattle
College. In this way, the city directly supports the visual, performing, and media arts all within
the Northgate neighborhood (City of Seattle, 2023). The local, county, and state public
institutions have also worked together to support culture in the community through art. Their
collaboration on the Thornton Creek water quality channel and the John Lewis Memorial bridge
both display public art integrated throughout each project. In particular, the state of Washington
requires a percentage of a project's funds to incorporate art has done much to promote the
cultural growth of the community through art (Herranz, 2023). King County has also brought in
artistic elements in its construction of the Northgate Park & Ride. As for the non-profit sector,
TCA was an instrumental part of the restoration of Thornton Creek and its final project that
integrated community art. Another non-profit that has supported the culture of the community is
the Friends of Robert Eagle Staff Musical Arts (FORESMA), an association dedicated to
supporting music in the community, particularly for youth in the local middle school (Robert
Eagle Staff MS Musical Arts, 2023). The for-profit sector has in a similar way supported
Northgate’s CBL through art. Beyond their contributions to the Thornton Creek restoration and
its artwork, some private developments, such as Thornton Place, incorporate large artistic murals
on the exteriors of the building. In this way, the private sector has embraced the arts and publicly
displays them. Sports also play a role in defining the culture of the neighborhood. They act as a
“unifier” among people, bringing them together and creating a shared activity (Herranz, 2023).
 Loutsis 9

The Kraken Community Iceplex has done this with hockey. Beyond unifying the community
around the Kraken team, the Iceplex offers classes, camps, programs, and activities to teach the
community to skate, play hockey, curl, and participate in other ice-based activities (Kraken
Community Iceplex, 2021). In this way, it has brought new growth in the culture of the
neighborhood through sports.

Left: A mural at North Seattle College. Right: Public art from the Thornton Creek channel.

Northgate sees examples of all three sectors working to address or add to the community’s CBL.
The public, non-profit, and for-profit examples increase Northgate’s CBL by preserving and
showcasing the neighborhood and local culture. These organizations and projects, along with
others that were not mentioned, are all examples of public service leadership. They are taking
steps to contribute to the cultural welfare of the community, identifying themselves as possessing
the duty of public service leaders. They are actively supporting their community members as
well as the common good of the neighborhood by creating a cultural vibrancy that contributes to
the overall health of the community through its Cultural Bottom Line. Unfortunately, there are
risks to the culture in the neighborhood. Art is always open to interpretation, and there is no set
standard for diversifying the type of art used across projects. There should be an intent to
diversify artists, art types, and areas where art is showcased in order to support the culture of the
community in an inclusive manner. There are also tensions between dedicating a percentage of a
project’s funds to art. Some may feel that the money could be better spent to improve the project
a little more rather than include art. Yet art helps create a more robust and beneficial project for
the community by directly improving the community’s CBL. Public discussion will likely be
necessary to educate community members on the benefits of art and culture in the community to
gather more support.

A table listing the local organizational examples and impacts on the CBL.
Action Examples
 Loutsis 10

Cultural Bottom Line Performing Arts ● FORESMA

● City of Seattle

Community Art ● Washington State

● City of Seattle
● King County
● Private Developments
● TCA

Infrastructure Art ● City of Seattle

● King County
● Washington
Department of
Transportation

Reflection
During this field trip, I had an exciting time exploring the neighborhood. Being able to immerse
myself in the community was enjoyable as I looked around the community. One thing I noticed
similar to last time was that the examples I found of public service leaders were again very
organization-heavy. Again, I no longer think of that as an issue after redefining what it means to
be a public service leader. And organizations are made up of individuals, and public service
leaders who I may never know the names of. I will say that one thing that struck me as odd on
our trip (and especially after) was how quiet everything was. In my mind, Northgate is a bustling
urban center with shopping and services, but I did not see as many people as I would have
expected. This was most noticeable when I explored the campus of North Seattle College. It felt
like a ghost town. It makes me wonder how well Northgate is doing – financially, at least. I know
they recently rebranded their shopping center and there are properties slated for development, but
I am curious how they are doing post-pandemic and with the growth of online sales. In fact, it
makes me wonder if Northgate Station will soon succumb to our changing culture. Beyond
online shopping, we have also been pushing for more alternative methods of transportation,
straying from the traditional auto-oriented focus. Northgate Mall was developed as being heavily
auto-oriented. I guess they were lucky to get the Park & Ride and Light Rail station, but there are
still visible elements left over from the auto-centric times.

Another thing I noticed was where Rainier Valley was full of culture (in business, organizations,
the arts, etc.), it was harder to find in Northgate. Yes, there is public art, but it took some digging
to find other forms of art. It was not as immediately observable. This is unfortunate, considering
the rich cultural history of the land and the indigenous populations that once occupied it. I feel
Seattle should capitalize on this even more. To me, it was almost noticeable. It felt that Northgate
was a higher-end, maybe even slowly gentrifying neighborhood. I wonder how Seattle and the
neighborhood will address this.
 Loutsis 11

Table
This table shows the aggregate breakdown of the general actions and examples for each Bottom
Line, with each example color-coded to delineate the sector.
Action Examples

Financial Bottom Line Job Preparation ● DVR

● KCVP
● WorkSource

Business Development ● WorkSource

● Private developments
● Northgate Station

Commercial Organization ● Northgate Station

Social Bottom Line Affordable Housing ● Private developments

● SHA
● Meridian Manor

Healthcare ● UW Medicine
● Kaiser Permanente
● VMFH

Education ● Cascadia Elementary

● Olympic View
Elementary
● Robert Eagle Staff
Middle School
● Bishop Blanchet High
School
● North Seattle College
● Pima Medical Institute

Assorted Services ● Northgate Community

Center

Environmental Bottom Line Public Transit ● Sound Transit

● King County Metro

Improved Infrastructure ● City of Seattle

TOD ● City of Seattle

● Private developments
● Northgate Station

Greenspaces ● City of Seattle

● TCA
 Loutsis 12

Cultural Bottom Line Performing Arts ● FORESMA

● City of Seattle

Community Art ● Washington State

● City of Seattle
● King County
● Private Developments
● TCA

Infrastructure Art ● City of Seattle

● King County
● Washington
Department of
Transportation
Red = Public Sector; Green = Non-profit Sector; Blue = For-profit Sector; Purple = Multi-Sector

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 Loutsis 13

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 Loutsis 14

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