Seattle’s New Front Porch: The Redevelopment of the Waterfront

The following post comes courtesy of Global Site Plans' The Grid. CNU and Global Site Plans recently teamed up to syndicate Grid content, as its contingent of writers presents a view on the opportunities and issues of urbanization all across the world. CNU will carry select posts from the Grid direct on the CNU Salons.

***

Historically, port cities located their industrial zones near the waterfront for the convenience of transporting goods. Often times, highways or railroads were later constructed near the industrial waterfront. But as contemporary manufacturing and shipping processes are significantly more efficient and require less space (since transportation moved from bulk to shipping containers), these port cities are now left with vacant land that is separated from the rest of the city.American cities that began with industrial shorelines are now facing two issues latent within the post-industrial landscape: the change in shipping processes, and the appearance of an urban waterfront.

As an industrial port city, Seattle’s urban waterfront began with working-class roots. The logging industry of the 1850’s first used Elliot Bay to transport timber. The waterfront was also used for the city’s shipbuilding industry, as well as for Boeing’s aircraft design and manufacturing during WWII.

The relics of heavy manufacturing will soon disappear as the city plans to reclaim its shoreline. Seattle’s waterfront transformation includes:

●      The demolition of the Alaskan Way Viaduct (a double decked elevated section of the highway that runs along the waterfront);

●      A 1.8 mile bored road tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct (that’s 200 feet below grade);

●      And an earthquake-conscious Sea Wall buttressing the historic piers.

These engineering projects will result in 300 acres of the Elliot Bay waterfront becoming reconnected with the city proper. The Alaskan Way Viaduct will no longer be a physical barrier between the shoreline and Downtown. Essentially, the waterfront will become the new front porch of the city.

Landscape architect James Corner, who designed Manhattan’s “High Line,” developed the overall urban design plan for Seattle’s central waterfront. The vision is to create a new waterfront promenade that will link Pioneer Square to Olympic Sculpture Park. It expands between the historic piers to create new public spaces that appear punctured along the promenade.

While it will be several years before the new waterfront plan comes to fruition, how do you think it will change the city? Will it become a tremendous public amenity for residents, a tourist destination, or a vertical land rush for developers?

To read the original post, written by Amanda Bosse, visit Global Site Plans.