Site Report 4
As of now, my block is in the process of transitioning to a set of apartments like the blocks northeast. With the large influx of people coming in due to the increasingly growing tech scene in Seattle and a large number of UW students entering the area, landowners are starting to renovate the old houses on the block for more lucrative and space-efficient buildings such as Lavita Apartments. As discussed in class, Seattle's growing popularity has largely affected what kinds of buildings are being built and where they are going to be built. Other blocks north and east of Block 17 have already shown signs of adaptation.
As shown in the document, University Community Urban Center Approval and Adoption Matrix, they had very specific goals for the southwest portion of the U-District (Lin 2). In particular, strategy D25 talked about "improving 7th and 8th Aves. NE north of the Burke-Gilman Trail to improve residential conditions." The plan proposed in 1998 mentioned improving the residential conditions and for a decade, the conditions have seemingly been improving. As seen in the document, UD Green Streets Concept Plan, they plan on bettering the roads for the residential area so that the buses and cars can conveniently and safely travel.
For the upcoming future, I would not be surprised if the P-Patch gets renovated to multiple sets of apartments. Nowadays, the biggest demand in the area is for new, affordable housing for incoming students and residents. As Seattle grows more popular over the years due to technology, the block will have to adapt like it did in the past when large numbers of students entered the land. Like the blocks on 47th and 12th, I foresee more development of the block so that there is more traction in the area. As my block transitioned from the forest on the hills to the houses made of the newcomers to a community garden, it is, once again, in the process of transitioning to a new stage, the apartments. I think this is better for the student-centered U-district since there are more and more people coming to the Seattle area both for UW and the growing tech community.
Works Cited
- Cheng Nan Lin, "Urban Analysis", Design Review Lavita Apartments: 1-3
- University Community Urban Center Association and City of Seattle’s Interdepartmental Review and Response Team. University Community Urban Center Approval and Adoption Matrix. Rep. University Community Urban Center Association and City of Seattle’s Interdepartmental Review and Response Team, 1998. PDF
- Seattle Map Co., “Bird's Eye View, City of Seattle and vicinity, 1904,” University of Washington Special Collections, n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2017
- Augustus Koch, “Section of bird's-eye map of Seattle depicting Lake Union and vicinity, Washington, 1891.,” University of Washington Special Collections, n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2017