Site Report 4
The University District (District), with 14,000 residents, a strong retail core with independent businesses, academic powerhouse UW, an emerging economic hub, is undergoing a tremendous amount of change. Currently, U-district is seen as a residential area for UW students and teachers and surrounding restaurants and shops are focused more on students. 85% people living in U-district are related to UW. Over 80% of residents rent their houses and half of them are living single. In terms of my block, there is no family housing and apartments are all for students.
According to UD Urban Design Final Recommendations 2016 (4), it has been revealed this block is going to experience drastic change in 10 years. Site between NE Brooklyn Ave and NE 43rd St is the location of the new light rail station in 2021 which is already bringing change to the U District: it is estimated about 5,000 new households and 4,800 new jobs will come over the next 20 years. Coordinated transportation systems, a thoughtful redevelopment strategy such as social services, community involvement and amenities that appeal to families are proposed to people in the U District.
The area surrounded new light rail station will be organized as the map illustrates. This map indicates 56th block as “Medium Density Residential area”, which might cause removal of restaurants and shops on Brooklyn Ave and placement of housing after open of station.
Furthermore, as preparing for upcoming development following by establishment of light rail station, it is estimated that a number of housing are displaced. With or without zoning changes, growth over the next 20 years would result in an estimated 40-60 demolished homes.(UD Urban Design Final Recommendations 2016, 15) This trend makes rent of housing rise in U-district. Displacement tends to cause the most severe and intolerable effect on marginalized populations: low-income people, people of color, English language learners, and people with disabilities. They might have to move to other places because of this zoning change.
The innovative alteration sometimes cause disarrangement towards relatively poor and minor people. The essential thing is how as much as people can spend comfortable life in that community even developed dramatically. Several plans about U-district suggest that drastic innovative shift will never attain without corporation by residents because those living that community will be not developers but residents for year and year. That is why some ideas for residents as well as commercial development are proposed such as arranging Green Street, parks and holding more community gathering.