Issues - Accessible Parks and Open Spaces for Everyone
Parks and green spaces play a vital role in any city—they are essential to the health of a city and its citizens. As Seattle becomes more densely populated, it becomes more and more important that we create neighborhood parks and open spaces to meet the need for places to play: the role that people’s backyards used to fill. I believe that it should be possible to have a park system that enables everyone in Seattle to get to a nearby park within about 10 minutes on foot or by bike.
Urban population density in Seattle will continue to increase. This is fundamentally a good thing—it means we can lead more sustainable lives and preserve the green space that still exists. But it also means that there is little or no new land available for parks in this city. So we’ll need to find smart and creative ways to provide people with access to safe parks, trails, community centers, recreation facilities, and quiet places for contemplation.
I think there is a lot we can do to increase the amount of green space in our city and our neighborhoods, and to make the open space and parks we do have more accessible. Here are some of the approaches I think we need to try:
- Make better use of what we already have. We should start by inventorying all publicly owned lands to see if there are opportunities to redevelop existing properties into pocket or neighborhood parks.
- Investigate opportunities to work with other agencies including the Department of Natural Resources, the Seattle Public Schools, the Port of Seattle, and the Seattle Housing Authority. The school district is one example. There are playgrounds and athletic fields that aren’t used much during the summer—we should explore the possibility of renting these spaces from the school district, an approach that could create revenue for schools and new recreational opportunities for citizens.
- Support neighborhood projects that would improve our park system and create new green spaces. We should make the city easier to work with and provide more resources for grassroots neighborhood projects.
- Create people-friendly urban neighborhoods. In Seattle’s dense neighborhoods, a great deal of land is already in public ownership, including streets and sidewalks. We can develop these streetscapes to produce lively neighborhoods that offer a mix of businesses, cafes, open public spaces, and safe pedestrian activity. I’d also like to see zoning changes that encourage developers to build taller buildings with smaller footprints that preserve public space for people to enjoy.
In addition, it’s time to reclaim our waterfront. I firmly believe that we must create an open and accessible waterfront that includes parks and green spaces. I served on the Viaduct Stakeholder Advisory Committee appointed by Governor Gregoire and I am a strong supporter of the option the panel proposed that included tearing down the viaduct.
Once the viaduct is gone, we need to reintegrate the waterfront into the fabric of our city. This means starting with an integrated vision and plan. We need to create vibrant public spaces in Belltown, the area between the Aquarium and Pike Place Market, and the Washington Street boat-landing area. We need to connect downtown neighborhoods to the water. And we need to find the right balance between recreation, entertainment, economic activity, and opportunities to connect with Puget Sound in a meaningful way.
This opportunity demands our boldest thinking and it will take a productive partnership between the city, business leaders, environmental leaders, talented designers and planners, and the philanthropic community. Once we examine the possible approaches and agree on a larger vision, then we can work together to fund and develop the individual pieces.
