Posted on December 30, 2025
Post categories: Honors & Awards News Urban Design & Planning
In Pacific County, collaboration is fueling change. Local leaders and the University of Washington’s Livable City Year (LCY) program joined forces to address housing, health, and sustainability challenges, and the results are being recognized on the global stage.
In recognition of a three-year collaboration designed to drive community-centered innovation, the Pacific County Economic Development Council and the LYC program have received the 2025 Partnership of the Year Award from the Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities Network (EPIC-N).
Housed in the College of Built Environments, LCY connects UW students and faculty with local governments and organizations across Washington to help translate community priorities into action. Founded in 2016 through a collaboration with UW Sustainability and Urban@UW, and with foundational support from the Department of Urban Design and Planning, the program is led by co-directors Branden Born and Jennifer Otten. The Pacific County partnership illustrates LCY’s mission in practice by bringing together local leaders, planners, and UW experts to develop practical, research-based solutions that strengthen one of Washington’s most rural regions.
Over three academic years, student and faculty teams completed more than 20 projects addressing critical needs such as affordable housing, downtown revitalization, land use planning, transportation access, and public health. Their work produced data tools, design concepts, and policy recommendations that Pacific County agencies are now using to guide planning, strengthen grant proposals, and support long-term community well-being.
The award places the Pacific County collaboration among the most impactful university–community partnerships worldwide and highlights how the College of Built Environments advances sustainability, equity, and livability through applied research and teaching.