Development of Seattle Central Waterfront

by Linda Pham

Location: Union Street and Alaskan Way

The Seattle Central Waterfront has gone through a long history of development and change. Since its construction began during the building of the city of Seattle, the waterfront has come to encompass many different activities; it first was a port for trade that would fuel the economy of Seattle; later it would be a place for recreational activities and tourist attractions. Today, the waterfront is an integration of historical places and contemporary buildings. Seattle’s city planning problems of today, including the Alaskan Way viaduct, is a major influence on the waterfront, and the decisions made by our officials and voters could affect it in a positive or very negative way.

Urban Balconies

by Mac Lanphere

Location: various.

Over the quarter I have developed a case study of urban balconies on residential multi-story buildings. These spaces are truly micro-urban, serving a variety of functions both preconceived and unintended. Above eye level for the pedestrian, these spaces can easily be overlooked, and so should serve as a valuable addition to the “Guidebook for Seattle Micro-Urbanism.”

The attached photographs of balconies taken throughout winter quarter are from the dense Seattle neighborhoods of Capitol Hill, Queen Anne, Rainier Valley and Magnolia. The cold weather makes these drafty perches somewhat less hospitable, and the photos do not show residents out enjoying these amenities. But in the attached essay I will explore, with help from the course readings, the possibilities and limits of these spaces.

Like the middle-class suburban garage, some balconies tend to pile up with outdoor gear. Many have potted plants, providing a bit of nature high above the asphalt roads and concrete sidewalks below. They often feel cramped, as if the developer or architect simply checked off “balcony” on the list of accoutrements necessary for speedy sale or rental of units. But the balcony offers the city resident a retreat from the urban environment––a place where individuality and identity can be restored and even expressed.

The in between spaces

by Wendy Tsao Hoffman

Location: Fremont Ave N, between N 34^th Ave and N 35^th St.

Between the quaint stores and restaurants in Fremont lies a micro-urbanism space we all experienced before, the alleyway, a space that defines the separation of two structures. Frequently Alleyways are seen as left over space, exists only to make a physical break and where unpleasant activities like bumping waste occur. However, this small space is an important “everyday urban environment”; it contains characteristics and activities that are pertinent to our daily lives. Instead of hiding its existence, Freemont utilize the alleyway space and made it functional which in turn gives the space its own character. I explore two alleyways facing each other but separated by the Fremont St., the main road that consist most vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The alleyways are a continuation of each other due to the way blocks were grided, however, they possess very different qualities and traits due to the surrounding environment. The alley to the right of Fremont St. is located between a local Tai restaurant and the Sonic Boom record store. It is line with numerous dumpsters along the wall of the restaurant, however, Sonic Boom also use the alley way as the entrance to the annex of the record store. On the opposite side of the street, the appearance of the alley way is dramatically different then the one formerly described. Situated between Blue Sea Sushi and Starbucks, both well know enterprises, Starbucks then took the chance to turn the alley way into a pleasant space for their customers, putting chair and tables there to make it pedestrian friendly. The attempt is to compare the characteristics of the individual alleyways and further explore the possibility of creative reuses and transformation of this space in the future.

Parking Lot Patio

by Aaron Newhouse

Location: Princeton Ave NE & Sand Point Way NE

The Parking Lot Patio is a unique space that is heavily influenced by the surrounding elements, the activities that go on around it, and its location in the parking lot. There are 11 stores in its vicinity, with Gretchen’s Place and City People’s Mercantile having the biggest influence on the patio. There is also a bus stop directly adjacent patio.

The site contains a water fountain clock tower, two round tables, seven chairs, one picnic table, one double-wide flat bench, four signs, and an open faced shelter with two benches and two pin boards inside and a planter around two sides of the outside.

Initial impressions of the site were that it is aesthetically pleasing, provides some amenities, a place to sit down, and acts as a center piece for the shopping area; however, observation only verified some of those pieces. This patio was rarely used and did not function very well in its location. Pedestrians were not accommodated very well throughout the site. The patio has to potential to act as a center piece and hub; however, it only accomplished this visually and not functionally.

A Secluded Plaza: Blanchard Brick

by Aaron Luoma

Location: Blanchard Ave. between 5^th & 6^th Downtown Seattle, WA

This plaza is located along Blanchard Ave. between 5^th and 6^th in downtown Seattle. The entirely brick plaza is flanked by two large office towers. The small space faces south, but receives relatively little sun light because of the buildings and larger trees planted in some small beds. The space has several levels with stairs. A large partially disguised ventilation shaft for the underground parking below the building, dominates the front entrance into the small plaza. The two paths that lead into the space, first take one into a side entrance to the adjacent office building. To the side are some stairs that leads to a smaller, more intimate space with benches, trashcan, and ashtray. Large, over-sized floodlights turn on during the night, discouraging vagrant populations from using the space. Signs are posted disallowing certain activities, such as skateboarding. The plantings include mostly native plants, with several evergreens. Terracotta pots with plants are placed along side the building for decorative elements. Stainless steel handrails stand in contrast to the brick material used throughout the site. The obscurity of materials and isolated nature of this plaza provides little more than a break for lunch or a smoke for the office workers near by.

Alleyways: Fragmentation and Connectivity

by Hilary Clark

Location: Between 15^th Ave. & University Way

I chose to explore alleyways around the University District in terms of how the fit into everyday urbanism as separate spaces and as corridors. Through my own exploration and referencing a few of the readings, I hope to capture how alleys function outside of the normal realm (deliveries and dumpsters). I believe they function as alternative pedestrian routes and as individual and discrete outdoor spaces.

Seattle’s Bike Community

by Leslie Gianna Clark

Location: 2323 East Cherry Street in the Central District every Sunday 2pm-5pm

3 examples of the bike community in Seattle:

“The Bikery” is a volunteer run bicycle resource center established within the past year. They have a very well thought out mission statement that aims to address a number of social issues through education of bike repair, anti oppression, and clean urban environments. A bike clinic, held on Sundays from 2-5 is one of the direct connections that the organization has to the community. Currently located at the Garfield Community Center on 23^rd Ave and Cherry Street in Seattle the bike clinic is free and open to all. Initially, when the clinic began, it was held in a parking lot at a few different locations. Since the weather has gotten cooler, the clinic has moved indoors.

“Seattle Critical Mass” is a performance of civil disobedience that happens the last Thursday of every month. This event is a product of the coming together of a group of people to take over the street for a short period of time. This demonstration signifies to the larger Seattle community that there are other forms of transportation that deserve the use of the road.

“Bike Swap” is an event put together my members of the bike community and vendors to sell bikes and bike parts at discounted rates. It takes place in an old Naval hanger at Magnuson Park temporarily taking over a large portion of the hanger area with a discounted marketplace for the bike community.

Central Park

by Tom Jamieson

Location: Northeast corner Rainier Avenue South and South Edmunds Street, Columbia City, Seattle

The micro-urban site is located in the heart of Columbia City in south Seattle. The site is a 2-acre parking lot with 4 points of access, two on Rainer Avenue South and two on South Edmunds Street. There are two permanent structures on the site. The largest building is the 18,000 square foot Columbia Plaza, which houses a number of low cost retail spaces. The second permanent structure is the 6,000 square foot Bank of America building, which sits on the south-east corner of the site. The site also features two less permanent structures. A taco truck sits along the east side of the site and attracts diners from the busy traffic along Rainier Avenue. There is also very small storage unit located on the south side of the site, which houses supplies and materials for the Columbia City Farmer’s Market. The farmer’s market occurs at the south-west corner of the site on Wednesday afternoons from May through October.

Community Participation in Greenwood Park

by Brady Leea

Location: 602 N 87^th Street, Seattle, WA 98103

The site chosen for this project is Greenwood Park. Greenwood Park is a small city park that is located between Fremont and Evanston Avenues between N. 87^th and N. 88^th streets. The park was built as a demonstration project for environmentally oriented construction and was a pilot project for porous concrete.

Play areas for both older and younger children, seating, picnic tables, a restroom, and an interpretative element that depicts the parks history with relation to the Interurban train have been incorporated into the design of this public space.

The property was purchased using the Pro Parks Levy funds and the implementation of the design was directed by a dedicated group of community volunteers known as the Friends of Greenwood Park [FOGP]. The community was encouraged to participate throughout the design process in the making of this park.

Space Around the Road

by Jeffrey Lam

Location: NE 45^th St.and University Way

Expanding on my previous idea on newspaper dispensers, I decided to include bus stop areas. Bus stops provide a common waiting place for inhabitants. They are a product of the urban need for mass transit. I will be focusing on the everyday urbanism right by campus on the Ave. 45^th Street is a major exit off Interstate 5 leading to the heart of the University District. Recently polled as one of Seattle’s Top Ten Busiest Streets, my site offers a look to the sides of the street where people avoid cars. In my site I find the more traffic, the more people, the bigger the space. My site is quite ordinary, informal, overlooked, and repetitive. Bus stops are found every block. On 45^th Street, the inhabitants are focused on the dangers that surround them- errant drivers being a large concern. It is not uncommon to see a street vendor selling art on the sidewalk near the bus stops. Space designed for the traffic of walkers and people waiting for the bus becomes a place for selling. Visually, the space that makes up the bus stop is created by the function of everyday action of taking the bus and waiting.