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Seattle's Great Viaduct Debate

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Imagine There's No Viaduct

Posted by Eric de Place

12/12/2006 10:07 AM

UW design students replace the viaduct.

I thought this was interesting. Here are some visual concepts for what Seattle's waterfront might look like sans Alaska Way Viaduct, presented yesterday by University of Washington students in the urban design and planning program.

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One of the more unusual ideas: a series of large greenhouses that would step down from Victor Steinbrueck Park to the aquarium. (Davila Parker-Garcia)

I have no idea if greenhouses would pencil out or be the best use of civic space. Still, I love the underlying notion that we should think broadly and creatively about what could replace the elevated highway as the face of downtown. And truth be told, I kind of like the idea of greenhouses, which gesture toward nearby Pike Place Market.

A few more ideas after the jump.

viaduct_uwdesign_256

Somewhat more conventional, but certainly more practical, here's a model of a hillside urban village that would include pedestrian plazas; community services, including a school; and housing. (Hannah McIntosh)

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An idea for a lid connecting Steinbrueck Park with the aquarium: this one includes a salt water swimming pool. (Alex Sandoval, pictured)

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Another sketch of the greenhouses. (Davila Parker-Garcia)

Washington

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Comments

Posted by David Sucher 12/12/2006 08:49 PM

Not with my tax money, thanks. Doesn't anyone know anything about what makes an interesting place? It's not Disneyesque excitements. It's plain, ordinary, urban streets.

Posted by Fine tooth comb 12/13/2006 12:18 AM

It is not so much the actual designs in these classes that are useful, but rather the widening of the range of possibility.

Tax dollars are hard to come by, so most of these ideas are pipe dreams, but I do know this. We cannot build another elevated viaduct in this city. And we shouldn't fix the old one up either. It is time to bury it or do without.

This is a 100 year decision. Plain, ordinary urban streets do make an interesting place--but only if the feature good design.

Posted by Dan 12/13/2006 09:36 AM

I appreciate the out of the box thinking, but this is waaaay too expensive to get close to actual reality.

Never happen.

Posted by David Sucher 12/13/2006 08:07 PM

"Plain, ordinary urban streets do make an interesting place--but only if the feature good design."

By their very definition, "ordinary urban streets" are good design without being gussied up with pomp.