Site Report 4
University District Urban Design Framework. The Department of Planning and Development. Published June 2012.
U District Green Streets Concept Plan. University District (Seattle, WA). Seattle Department of Planning and Development. Published in 2015.
U District Urban Design. City of Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development. Published on October 6, 2015.
University avenue is commonly known to students as “The Ave”. It is the main street for food and other recreational pastime. It also provides a variety of housing for 14,000 residents and better transportation options (UD Urban Design). In the late 20th century, the Ave was neglected due to development plans for the University Village and Northgate mall. In the early 21st century, the community and city gradually made improvements to the Ave starting with re-pavement and more street lights. Due to the long neglect, the Ave is currently a major area for countercultural homeless. They are referred to as the “Ave rats”. With increased enforcement, the population of the homeless has been dwindling. It’s said that gang activities also contributed to the decreasing population of the homeless. Drug sales and gun-related violence has increased in the last few years (Wiki). Although the Ave is a central hangout spot for students, it is a very unsafe and vulnerable place for destruction.
Throughout the years, the Ave. has expanded to its neighboring streets. The university community’s urban center is beginning to undergo significant change. Block 48 is included in the rezoning area for the U District urban design plan for growth that includes raising building heights, specific design standards to maintain character of the Ave., affordable housing, and open space for child care, historic preservation, and other amenities (UD Urban Design). The U district being one of Seattle’s six urban cities, big improvements are in plan. One of most well-known development is the Light rail project that started in 2001. It is a $2.1 billion investment estimated to be finished in the year 2021 (UD Urban Design). The Light rail’s ultimate goal is to connect the University district to the rest of Seattle. With the population growth rate being higher than ever, more reliable transportation is in need. The city of Seattle has created a plan for the Brooklyn avenue. This plan called “U District Green Streets Concept Plan” of 2015, proposes a more pedestrian oriented street for Brooklyn avenue. With this development, the city will gradually begin to look more urban that is suitable for young college students. I can be predicted homeless population and gang-related activities causing drug abuse and gun violence will be diminished. The U District’s major changes and development will make it a college student friendly place that may one day be the core of the city.
Citations:
"Christ Episcopal Church." CEC - History. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.
Dailey, Tom. "Coast Salish Villages of Puget Sound." Coast Salish Villages of Puget Sound. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2017.
"HistoryLink.org." Seattle Neighborhoods: University District -- Thumbnail History - HistoryLink.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.
"U District Urban Design." U District Urban Design - Project Documents - Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.
"University District, Seattle." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Mar. 2017. Web. 16 Mar. 2017.
"University of Washington." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Mar. 2017. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.