What We Do: In Depth

Workshops

David Spiker (2002-2006) leads the Commission in a discussion during the Alaskan Way Surface Design Workshop.

The Design Commission convenes workshops to foster the discussion of design issues and develop design guidelines for projects that have a citywide impact. Often, the Commission is asked to participate by project proponents or city officials. 

Examples include:

Public Safety Building Site Workshop (Sep 2006)

How should the public spaces of the former Public Safety Building site, located next to the City's civic campus, be designed? The Design Commission led numerous parties to define the design parameters for the site, guided by its belief that the public/private partnership capitalize on the site's unique civic design potential.

Workshop contributors:

  • Mayor's Office
  • Seattle City Council
  • Department of Fleets and Facilities
  • Department of Planning and Development
  • Seattle Planning Commission
  • Seattle Design Commission
  • Staubach RE Consultants

Results:

  • developed recommedations for the site's design in these 4 areas: 
    • size/configuration
    • context and adjacent uses
    • programming
    • character of public spaces

Download the Public Safety Building Workshop Report.

Alaskan Way Surface Design Workshops (Mar-May 2005)

What criteria should guide the design of the surface of the new Alaskan Way, waterfront promenade, and lid? The Design Commission held three workshops in early 2005 to examine the urban design implications of replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct and the Seawall with a tunnel, the City and State’s preferred alternative. The Design Commission provided direction on key design issues including the future surface street alignment, the redevelopment of Colman Dock, the future of Piers 62/63, and the configuration of a “lid” structure over the tunnel leading up to Pike Place Market.

Workshop contributors:

  • Mayor's Office
  • Seattle Department of Transportation
  • Washington State Department of Transportation
  • Seattle Design Commission

Results:

  • developed design guidelines

Download the Future of Alaskan Way Report.

Waterfront Visioning Charrette (Mar 2004)
How would Seattle redesign its waterfront if the Alaskan Way Viaduct is removed?

Workshop contributors:

  • Department of Planning and Development
  • Seattle Department of Transportation
  • Washington State Department of Transportation
  • Seattle Design Commission
  • Seattle Planning Commission

Results:

  • developed 32 different design schemes

Visit the Waterfront Visioning website.  

South Lake Union Design Workshop (Feb-Mar 1996)
What were the urban design issues surrounding the Mayor's recommended revised plan for South Lake Union? The workshop focussed the design, transportation and physical connection issues on the proposed park.

Requested by:

  • City Council

Sponsors:

  • Seattle Design Commission
  • Seattle Planning Commission
  • City Council

Results:

  • gave ideas and opinions to City Council to help them in making decisions about South Lake Union

South Downtown Workshop (Jan 1995-Sep 1995)
How can South Downtown maintain its vital role in the city? The workshop focused on the complex overlay of proposed projects and varied interests that make up the future of South Downtown.

Requested by:

  • Washington State Ferries
  • Port of Seattle
  • King County
  • City of Seattle

Sponsors:

  • Seattle Design Commission

Results:

  • formed South Downtown stakeholders group
  • initaited Kingmaker Project
  • initiated South Downtown joint masterplan
  • initiated Jackson Street Design project
  • developed shared purpose and collaborative spirit among the stakeholders

Pine Street Advocacy Task Force (Dec 1994-Feb 1996)
How to balance pedestrian and vehicular uses in the Pine-Pike corridor? The Design Commission served as part of a task force to to develop recommendations for the design of Pine Street and identify priorities to spend $1 million in HUD grant money.

Requested by:

  • Mayor Norm Rice
  • City Council

Sponsors:

  • Seattle Design Commission
  • Seattle Planning Commission

Results:

  • developed a design for Pine Street that was broadly supported by the community, funded by HUD, and completed in November 1996
  • wrote recommendations that were adopted by City Council
  • hired downtown development coordinator to implement remaining recommendations 

Downtown Design Forum (Apr-Jun 1994)
What were the ramifications of upcoming policy decisions related to urban design in downtown Seattle?

Requested by:

  • Mayor Norm Rice
  • City Council

Sponsors:

  • Seattle Design Commission
  • Seattle Planning Commission
  • University of Washington Cascadia Institute

Results:

  • influenced many policy decisions, such as the downtown Symphony Hall location, supporting the Nordstrom move to the Frederick & Nelson Building, reopening of Pine Street to traffic, supporting the Convention Center expansion, sale of the City Light Building, and siting of a new downtown library
  • provided a framework and model for other processes, such as the South Downtown Workshop

Design Integration Workshops I and II (Jul-Nov 1994)
How to integrate environmental design into SED's Intermodal Terminal Project and RTA's commuter and light rail projects? Integration I workshop created a decision framework for developing a joint environmental impact statement (EIS). Focus groups looked holistically at urban design, pedestrian and transportation issues in view of stakeholders goals, priorities and concerns. Integration II documented the reactions of the same group of stakeholders to the design alternatives that were published in the draft EIS.

Requested by:

  • Regional Transit Authority
  • Seattle Engineering Department

Sponsor:

  • Seattle Design Commission

Results:

  • enabled stakeholders with overlapping and competing interests to look collectively at issues, solutions and shared goals
  • offered City Council a coordinated EIS response reflecting stakeholders' shared needs 

Alki-Harbor-Duwamish Design Workshop (May 1993-Jan 1994)
How can a new civic organization guide future development in its community? The Design Commission shared its expertise and knowledge of publics works projects with a newly-formed civic organization, Greater Harbor 2000.

Requested by:

  • community members

Sponsors:

  • Seattle Design Commission
  • Greater Harbor 2000

Results:

  • explained the status and interrelationships of projects within the corridor to improve the collective body of capital improvements
  • procured funding for improvements to Alki and Harbor Avenues and for Spokane Street Bridge improvements
  • secured $80,000 in grants for study of Pier 1 site

Urban Visualization Workshop (Sep 1992-Feb 1993)
How should Seattle accomodate its growth in a manner that emphasizes the positive aspects of the city's existing development pattern and neighborhood structure? This workshop was one of the intitial steps in development of the Urban Villages concept. It summarized the activities and results of the work of six teams looking at the potential of Lake City, Madison Park, and Columbia City.

Requested by:

  • Seattle Planning Department

Sponsors:

  • Seattle Design Commission
  • Seattle Planning Commission
  • Seattle Planning Department

Results:

  • provided an opportunity to share information and ideas about what the "urban village" concept means to Seattle
  • worked with a group of over 70 citizens to further develop and appy an urban village concept to achieve community and environmental goals
  • provided the Planning Department with the results of a community brainstorming process to utilize in preparation of the Comprehensive Plan

I-90 and South Atlantic Street Workshops (Aug 1991-Jan 1992)
Should the neighborhoods immediately surrounding the I-90 lid be restored or intensively redeveloped? Workshop participants voted for the former, and created a framework for the South Atlantic Plan, which created a shared vision of what residents wanted their neighborhood to become, and identified future capital improvements and sites for owner-occupied ground-related housing units.

Requested by:

  • Seattle Department of Communuity Development
  • community members

Sponsors:

  • Seattle Design Commission
  • Department of of Communuity Development

Results:

  • helped prevent an undesireable freeway ramp
  • recommended housing development was built
  • secured funding for South Atlantic Street Neighborhood Plan
  • planted street trees
  • transferred Colman School to City for African-American Cultural Heritage Museum

 

Last Updated: June 26, 2007