Seva Workshop
Inclusive planning to improve places for people
About us
Seva Workshop delivers inclusive community planning services to improve places for people. A woman-owned, certified DBE/WMBE practice, we believe in planning and policy development that is based on rigorous analysis, thoughtful and inclusive community conversation, and equitable outcomes.
Seva is a Sanskrit word that translates to “service.” We see ourselves in service of the community, helping to build solutions that embrace the collective vision and cultivate equitable outcomes.
Our Services
Planning Documents
Comprehensive plans
Subarea plans
Tribal plans
Community action plans
Strategy Development
Equity review and analysis
Housing needs assessments
Community needs assessments
Policy analysis and program evaluation
Community Engagement
Engagement strategy
Advisory group facilitation
Inclusive community outreach
Qualitative input analysis
Seva Workshop provides the full spectrum of urban planning and public policy services for communities and projects of all sizes.
We bring our experience in urban planning, community engagement, evaluation, and data analysis to every project.
our values
Seva Workshop is a values-driven firm. Guided by these values, we believe we can do the greatest service for the communities in greatest need.
We cannot repeat the mistakes of the last 100 years in planning and policy if we want to achieve different, more equitable results. At Seva, we see each project as a unique opportunity to try new approaches and create new pathways to the future.
We are experts in our field, but we can’t do it all. Our best work is done in deep partnership with communities and with other organizations. We thrive on finding and highlighting the strengths of others while lending our own.
We prioritize transparency and accountability in our research and analysis, as well as in our community relationships. Seva clients and partners can expect thoughtful, effective plans and policies with a high degree of rigor and quality engagement.
living our values
We bring the values of creativity, humility, and integrity as a lens to every project and client interaction. We also dedicate time and resources outside of paid projects to live out these values by:
Investing in the next generation of planners and public policy makers through paid internships with Rainier Scholars and out-of-school learning programs.
Integrating artists, arts organizations, and community-based organizations in planning work with the resources to match their effort. We believe that community connection through the arts is a key—and often overlooked—way to achieve holistic and equitable planning outcomes.
our TEAM
Radhika Nair, Founder and Principal Planner, has two decades of multidisciplinary experience in land use planning, policy analysis, and community engagement. She manages subarea and neighborhood plans, comprehensive plans, housing studies, and economic development plans, integrating culturally relevant engagement with diverse communities throughout each project. Radhika is passionate about integrating equity and social justice into policymaking to benefit BIPOC, impoverished communities, and immigrant or minority communities.
Vivien Savath, Policy and Evaluation Principal, leads Seva’s policy and evaluation practice with a focus on community-defined success. She has over a decade of experience implementing a full range of evaluation and improvement work that is both creative and rigorous. Through research, facilitation, and strategic partnerships, Vivien has supported dozens of community-based and non-profit organizations, foundations, municipalities, and other public agencies in the Northwest.
Deborah Munkberg,
Planning Advisor, enjoys sharing her expertise in comprehensive planning, policy analysis, and environmental assessment. She advises on innovative strategies to meet project needs when preparing GMA comprehensive plan documents and conducting SEPA environmental review. Deborah is an expert in integrated programmatic GMA/SEPA review and has prepared environmental review for comprehensive plan updates, subarea plans, and planned action proposals.
Lisa Johnson, Director of Planning, brings a decade of experience in urban planning, data analysis, and project management. She loves exploring ways to improve the public benefit that results from planning tools and public decision making. Lisa leads comprehensive and subarea plans, housing studies, and brings equity analysis to a wide range of topics such as parks, land use, economic development, and mobility.
Diana Haring, Data Manager, brings 12 years of experience in spatial analysis, database architecture, and data visualization to Seva Workshop. With a passion for data, cartography, and information design, Diana makes data accessible and easy to understand, often through visualizing disparate data to convey the underlying story.
Michael Read brings his expertise in business management, development, marketing, and compliance with small consulting firms. He also creates engagement strategies and communications that facilitate thoughtful discourse on complex planning, urban design, and capital projects. Michael supports a wide variety of projects with copyediting and graphic design.
Rebecca Fornaby is a writer, editor, and graphic designer who helps communities build shared visions for the future through engagement and communication. She enjoys working with clients to weave thoughtful public and stakeholder engagement strategies into a range of projects, including comprehensive plans, subarea and neighborhood plans, and transportation plans.
Mary Xiao, Senior Planner, enjoys working at the intersection of infrastructure planning and climate change impacts. Her passion for infrastructure planning stems from the belief that infrastructure is a platform that can bring about more economic, social, and environmental benefits to communities, and it can be utilized to redress the historical harms experienced by overburdened communities.
Elena Arakaki, Associate Planner, brings her experience with public sector and non-profit project coordination to Seva Workshop. Elena seeks to center community perspectives while cultivating community wellbeing, social connection, and a sense of belonging in urban spaces. She has master’s degrees in Urban Planning and Public Health from the University of Washington and brings these interdisciplinary perspectives to her work.
Mariana (Mar) Sánchez Castillo, Associate Planner, brings their experience as a climate justice organizer, leading public engagement, event coordination, and coalition building. Mar is pursuing a master’s degree in urban design and planning at the University of Washington, exploring the ways in which queer and feminist planning theories can be applied through equitable community-led decision making.
Jane Zhao, Associate Planner, is guided by years of direct service and project management experience in harm reduction, houseless services, and community outreach. Jane is passionate about community-driven visions for the future. As a dual master’s student in public health and social work, she explores how to actualize these visions through policymaking, coalition building, and redistributing power in pursuit of community.
Certifications
State of Washington WMBE/DBE
King County SCS