Date Posted: 04.17.2026
The expansion of light rail across Lake Washington is more than a milestone, it is a key piece of the generational investment in how the Puget Sound region grows, connects and thrives. By linking Seattle and Eastside communities, this system is reshaping mobility while unlocking new opportunities for vibrant, transit-oriented places.
Mithun is proud to support Sound Transit in this regional vision, helping transform infrastructure into enduring community value and a more equitable, low-carbon future.
At the core of Mithun’s work is an integrated design approach that brings urban design and planning, architecture, landscape architecture, and interior design expertise to the table. This multidisciplinary perspective allows us to see a holistic picture and align transit, development and community priorities as we collaborate with engineering, transportation, real estate and environmental partners, resulting in places that are not only connected, but compelling, resilient and distinctly local.
EXPANDING LIGHT RAIL, TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES
From early planning and pre-development through design documentation and construction, Mithun helps clients move seamlessly from vision to implementation, ensuring that bold ideas are grounded in technical rigor and real-world feasibility.
With more than two decades of leadership advancing transit-oriented development — starting with regional efforts like ULI Seattle’s 2008 Reality Check and the Puget Sound Growing Transit Communities Strategy — Mithun brings deep experience shaping growth around transit in ways that are both ambitious and achievable.
DESIGNING THE FUTURE OF REGIONAL GROWTH
Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Washington State, making high-capacity transit one of the most powerful tools for climate action.
Sound Transit’s expanding light rail system is already demonstrating this impact. In 2024 alone, riders helped avoid more than 255,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, underscoring the transformative potential of transit at scale.
Yet the true opportunity lies where infrastructure and community meet.
Mithun’s work focuses on the places that surround transit: designing station environments and neighborhoods that make transit the natural, preferred choice. Through walkable urban design, mixed-use development, and high-quality public realm, we help translate transit investment into lasting shifts in how people live, move and connect.
By integrating land use, urban design, landscape and sustainability strategies from the outset, we align planning, engineering and community vision. This holistic approach creates places that are not only environmentally responsible, but economically viable and deeply rooted in local identity.
ADVANCING TRANSIT-ORIENTED COMMUNITIES
West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions
Planning, Urban Design, TOD Feasibility | 2019–ongoing
As part of the HNTB team, Mithun is helping shape two of the region’s most complex and transformative transit investments — connecting West Seattle and Ballard to downtown with over 12 miles of light rail service and the integration of 13 new stations into existing neighborhoods — all while navigating geographic and infrastructure constraints.
A defining innovation in this work is the early integration of urban design into station planning. This reframes stations as civic places that strengthen connections to the urban fabric and act as catalysts for community investment.
Together as part of the multi-disciplinary team, Mithun led station area concept options, addressing multimodal access, public space and neighborhood fit. At the same time, we advanced equitable TOD feasibility studies for station-adjacent sites, identifying opportunities for more than 1,000 new homes and vibrant mixed-use environments.
Today, our work continues to refine the public realm and station experience concepts, collaborating with agency and city partners on how these investments can deliver lasting community benefit.
Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Services
On-call and Project-Based | 2013–ongoing
For more than a decade, Mithun has partnered with Sound Transit to unlock the potential of transit-oriented properties — transforming former construction sites and surplus land into opportunities for housing, jobs and community life.
Our integrated team brings together planning, design, and feasibility expertise to deliver implementable, market-informed solutions. From site analysis and zoning to massing, phasing and community engagement, we help translate opportunity into action.
This work consistently advances complete, mixed-use communities that support ridership, reduce car dependence and enhance quality of life. It demonstrates that great transit and great places go hand in hand.
Everett Link Extension and Model Code Partnership
TOD Feasibility, Urban Design, Landscape Architecture, and Sustainability | 2021–ongoing
As part of the Kimley-Horn team, Mithun is supporting the Everett Link Extension — bringing an integrated approach to TOD feasibility, urban design, landscape architecture and sustainability across six new stations and 16 miles of light rail.
By aligning development potential with public realm design and climate resilience early in the process, we help accelerate delivery of high-quality, transit-supportive communities.
FROM INFRASTRUCTURE TO IMPACT
Together, Mithun’s work with Sound Transit reflects a broader belief: that an integrated approach creates community infrastructure and thriving cities.
In a region defined by its natural systems and rapid growth, this means shaping compact, connected communities that respond to both environmental realities and community aspirations.
By uniting multiple disciplines and bringing deep expertise across the full project lifecycle, Mithun helps clients turn transit investments into places of lasting value — advancing climate goals while creating neighborhoods where people want to live, work and connect.
