Who Is Involved

"Building Inclusive Communities in Seattle"

Joyce and Nannette: Bradner Gardens Park

Atop a hill in the middle of Seattle's Mount Baker neighborhood with its dense mix of one- and two-story houses, a community garden is thriving and growing. The piece of land, not quite two acres, commands a sweeping view of Seattle and Puget Sound, and testifies to the power of community vision, activism, and inclusion.

Joyce, Nannette, Johanna, and other neighbors envisioned the park as a beautiful place for neighbors to garden, play, and celebrate with one another. They reached out to the neighborhood's southeast Asian immigrants, who are now among those who grow produce and flower in the 61-plot community garden. And they designed the park to be fully accessible for people with disabilities to use and enjoy.

The planning of Bradner Gardens Park was marked by a commitment to consider what was wanted by all members of the community. That inclusiveness has paid off richly: when the park was redeveloped as a community garden, over 500 people logged thousands of volunteer hours hauling topsoil, piling rocks, and planting hundreds of trees and native plants.

If you visit Bradner Gardens Park today, you are bound to meet Joyce, Nannette and other neighbors. Someone is always around, gardening, playing basketball, building an arbor, sitting on the benches, or watching the sun set across Puget Sound. Working together, people in this quiet neighborhood have transformed a little piece of land into a place of beauty, community pride, and far-reaching inclusion.

Learn more about the Bradner Gardens strategies.