The City of Kirkland received a grant from the Scan Design Foundation to work with Bloxhub, an international organization focused on sustainable urbanization based in Copenhagen, Denmark. The project aimed to create a vision and innovative planning and design for the future of the Southern Industrial Subarea that anchors the southern portion of the Totem Lake Urban Center.
The future of Kirkland’s Southern Totem Lake Industrial Subarea (SIS) gradually tookshape through months of collaboration, local knowledge and Nordic perspectives. City of Kirkland, Bloxhub and experts from 3XN/GXN, Schønherr and AGORA, explored the area through workshops, site visits and conversations with local businesses, property owners, trail users and community members. The fresh perspectives are compiled in a new report, which sets out a strategic direction and nine design concepts for the future of the area.
Looking ahead, the City of Kirkland will take the work into the next stage of planning in 2027, exploring market conditions, future housing opportunities and how the design concepts can help shape the area’s future development.
2026 Report: A Strategic Compass and Nine Design Concepts
The report explores how the SIS can become more connected, livable and inviting, while building on the businesses, buildings, natural features and industrial character already there. The concepts range from stronger connections to the Cross Kirkland Corridor, a regional trail running through the area, and the adaptive reuse of existing warehouses, to new gathering spaces, nature-based solutions and a stronger local identity.
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