south lake union
streetscape

A Tool to Direct Private Investments in a Quality Public Realm

Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood is rapidly being transformed with private development. The City of Seattle tasked us with creating street concept plans that would provide a vision for development of public streetscape. This set of street concept plans covered the portion of the South Lake Union neighborhood west of Westlake Avenue, including a major opportunity for a shared-use street along four blocks of 8th Avenue.

The team created two flexible schemes for 8th Avenue, envisioning “street rooms” between Denny Park and the University of Washington’s Medical Center in South Lake Union.  The concept plans also anticipate the removal of the Alaskan Way Viaduct and the completion of the SR-99 tunnel, envisioning a reconnection of the east-west streets previously cut off from the rest of the city. These concept plans have been adopted in Seattle’s Right-of-Way Improvement Manual.