Walkable Communities
November 8, 2002

Fieldtrip Objectives
1. Influence of New Urbanism in the Puget Sound: Theory and Reality
2. Exemplar of "walkable" communities
3. Comparison between New Urbanism and densification of existing communities
4. Learning know-how from planners

Essay Guidelines
1.You may focus on one (undergraduate students, 3 pages) or both (graduate students, 4-5 pages) communities.
2. Issaquah Highlands (IH)
a. Does the IH project fit the general principles and objectives of NU? If yes, how? If no, why?
b. What are the most important issues that planners/engineers should be concerned in reviewing the IH plan?
c. How is IH different from a conventional suburban community?
3. Kirkland (KL)
a. How does Kirkland downtown achieve a compact living environment with walkable, pedestrian friendly streets?
b. In your view, have KL's downtown design guidelines played a critical role in its succeess? Or was it purely the result of market forces?
c. What is "A Community Conversation about Kirkland's Future"?
d. What are the most important issues that planners face in implementing a mixed-use project, such as in Juanita Village?
4. Try to make suggestions about how the planning of these communities might be improved.

Preparation for the field trip
1. Refresh readings and class discussions about New Urbanism
2. Try to find some related information from the Web. Here are a few starting links:

• Issaquah Highlands
  Homepage: http://www.issaquahhighlands.com/
  Ariel photos: http://www.issaquahhighlands.com/whereis.html

• City of Issaquah "About Us"
  http://www.ci.issaquah.wa.us/aboutus.htm
  

• City of Kirkland Planning Department
  http://www.ci.kirkland.wa.us/depart/planning/planning.htm

• Neighborhood Map
  http://www.ci.kirkland.wa.us/depart/neighborhood/nhood_map.htm

• A Community Conversation about Kirkland's Future
  http://www.ci.kirkland.wa.us/depart/neighborhood/sheet_citywide.htm#CW12

Fieldtrip Itinerary
8:40 am Pick up the UW Van from the motor pool (Designated driver: Travis/Tobias)
9:00 am Leave the Gould Hall loading zone

A. Issaquah Highlands (10:00 am - noon)

10:00 am Arrive at the Issaquah Highland Information Center
Ruth Winbauer RWinbauer@portblakely.com
206-409-3726 (8:30 am)

• Carol Beck, Project Manager, Issaquah Highlands
  Environmental impacts of Issaquah Highlands project
  -water quality
  -erosion control

• City of Issaquah, Major Development Review Team
  Dan Ervin/Doug Schlepp, Engineer
  Lucy Sloman, Planner
  -planning implications of IH project
  -impacts on existing communities

12:00 Leave Issaquah Highlands for Kirkland/Lunch in Kirkland Downtown (notice of location to follow)

B. Kirkland (1:30 pm - 3:30 pm)

1:30 pm Kirkland Waterfront Park

• Jeremy McMahan, Planning Supervisor
  1. Kirkland downtown: Why is it successful?
  2. Kirkland and the Shoreline Management Act
  3. Nuts and bolts of Downtown Design Guidelines (with walking tour)
  4. A Community Conversation about Kirkland's Future

• Angela Ruggeri
  1. "Juanita Village" mixed-use project

4:00 pm Return to the Gould loading zone
4:30 pm UW Van return to the Motor pool

Driving directions to Issaquah Highlands
From eastbound I-90, take exit #17 and turn left
onto E. Lake Sammamish Parkway. Drive 1/2 mile and turn right
on Issaquah-Fall City Road (76 station on the corner.) Take the
first right on SE Black Nugget Road and follow signs to the
information center. (Source: Issaquah Highlands website)