Urban design experts will help leaders and advocates address local challenges in Seattle and Tukwila this month. A series of workshops focused on Tukwila International Boulevard, February 23-25, and Seattle’s Central Area, February 25-27, will invite residents to share their visions for future growth and development.
The non-profit Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) is co-hosting the events with private planning firms. Planning from Opticos Design will work with the Central Area Design Guideline Coalition and the City of Seattle, and local officials will be aided by PlaceMakers in Tukwila. Additional support will be provided by several other firms. Issues of neighborhood identity, displacement, culture and historical assets, and infrastructure needs will be addressed.
The end goal is to create neighborhood plans and design guidelines for future development projects. Seattle and Tukwila were chosen for these services through a competition based on community support, need for neighborhood planning, and local jurisdictions’ ability to implement the plans.
Each workshop is three days. Residents, city staff, and community organizations will work side-by-side with the urban designers to translate visions into recommendations, goals, and implementation strategies. Details on the workshops are listed below.
Tukwila, WA
Where: Church by the Side of the Road, 3455 S 148th St, Tukwila
When:
- Public Workshop—Thursday, February 23 | 6:00 – 7:30 PM
- Open Studio—Friday, February 24 | 1:00 – 3:30 PM
- Open Studio—Friday, February 24 | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
- Open House—Saturday, February 25 | 6:30 – 8:00 PM
Seattle Central Area
Where: Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, 104 17th Ave S, Seattle
When:
- Urban Structure Briefing—Saturday, February 25 | 8:00 – 9:00 AM
- Open Studio—Saturday, February 25 | 4:00 – 6:00 PM
- Open House—Monday, February 27 | 5:00 – 7:00 PM
- Closing Presentation—Monday, February 27 | 7:00 – 9:00 PM
The results will be tied to CNU’s upcoming national conference, happening in Seattle May 3-6. More information on the conference schedule and registration is available at cnu.org.
Scott Bonjukian has degrees in architecture and planning, and his many interests include neighborhood design, public space and streets, transit systems, pedestrian and bicycle planning, local politics, and natural resource protection. He cross-posts from The Northwest Urbanist and leads the Seattle Lid I-5 effort. He served on The Urbanist board from 2015 to 2018.