Turning Seattle's underused central waterfront into a civic centerpiece will require political courage to learn from previous missed opportunities.
It could be one of the great urban spaces of the world. I’m thinking along the lines of Union Square in Manhattan, La Rambla in Montevideo, the banks of the Kamo River in Kyoto and the boulevards of Paris. There are many great examples.
Under the leadership of James Corner Field Operations, the folks who designed New York's High Line, planners have come up with ambitious ideas for when the viaduct freeway finally comes down.
That's why I'm alarmed when I read short-sighted comments from politicians. “It’s pretty expensive, and I don’t know if it’s what Seattle is looking for,” said Councilman Richard Conlin, co-chair of the council's planning committee, according to the local blog Publicola. “I think we need to start getting realistic about what’s financially possible and more in touch with what Seattle residents are looking for.”
Our waterfront should be uniquely Seattle, of course. It should be democratic – with plenty of civic space for people to linger and enjoy – and with lots of economic activity. It should integrate well with a vibrant commercial port and industrial activity. It should make the city stronger, both financially and civically.
But we desperately need to think big if we're going to avoid repeating past mistakes. Instead of a true park at Westlake we got a mall and instead of a "Seattle Commons" south of Lake Union we got a bustling neighborhood (lacking civic space, but still a good outcome despite plenty of political opposition). At Discovery Park the city chose to build a massive sewage treatment plant instead of preserving a pristine beach.
I’ve dreamed of an opportunity to do better since I was a kid, when Seattle’s central waterfront was still dominated by underused warehouses and piers left after many good industrial jobs disappeared. In high school I volunteered as a naturalist at the Seattle Aquarium and remember getting off the bus, descending the market hillclimb and enjoying the smells and sounds of the waterfront. There was something special about being in what felt like the underbelly of the city – along with some vague danger.
Now is our chance to remove the viaduct and make the waterfront a place that benefits everyone in the city. Let's get it right.