COEXISTENCE OF OPPOSITES: ALONG AURORA AVENUE

Seongwon Song

Among cities growing rapidly, Seattle is achieving growth and more a sustainable future. In a sustainable city, opposite elements may coexist harmoniously. Aurora Avenue in North Seattle is a state highway that connects downtown Seattle and the focal area of this project, and there are disproportioned opposites that contribute to its character as an unsafe and neglected route. This proposal suggests allowing opposites to coexist by providing walkable paths and safe community engaging space as a short-term plan, and an underground bus way and new open space as a long-term plan. Consequently, Aurora Avenue and the adjacent neighborhood may regenerate towards sustainablity and resilience.

FRAGMENTED FACILITIES, OPPOSITES IN THE SITE BOUNDARY

Aurora Avenue, an unsafe and neglected route, passes through designated urban villages in North Seattle that are Bitter Lake Village Hub Urban Village and Aurora-Licton Springs Residential Urban Village. Additionally, Evergreen Park Cemetery and Washelli Cemetery are located between two urban villages and divide these villages spatially and functionally. Although there are many potential elements and amenities for future development, they are fragmented as diagrammed below:

Civic Defragmentation

Concept

Two main connections, North – South Connection and East – West Connection, are suggested to weave together these fragmented areas. North – South connection is movement based and East – West connection provides space and is activity based. In the future, the two types of connections are overlapped, intertwined and interacted.

North - South Connection, movement based.

Corresponding to Slowness + Speed, Pedestrians + Vehicles, and Natural + Artificial.

East - West Connection, space and activity based.

Corresponding to Residential + Commercial, Pedestrians + Vehicles, Natural + Artificial, and Life + Death.

Civic Defragmentation.

Overlapped, Intertwined and Interacted.

NORTH - SOUTH CONNECTION

Strategy

North – South Connection is based on movement, thus the main focus area is Aurora Avenue. First, relationships of pedestrians and vehicles are defined and divided into two categories of horizontal and vertical movement. For creating prototypes, these programs are applied to three street types: Straight, T Intersection and Cross Intersection.

Prototypes

Each street type – Straight, T intersection, and Cross intersection – is found along Aurora Avenue and between 105th – 130th. Since each street type has different conditions, distinct phases of development and prototypes are required.

short-term, night time intermediate-term long-term short-term, night time intermediate-term long-term

Cross Intersection

short-term, night time intermediate-term long-term

NORTH - SOUTH CONNECTION

Since a left-turn lane is not always needed on Aurora Avenue and 125th, a planted median is provided as a short-term plan. Where a left-turn lane is not necessary on Aurora Avenue from 115th to the south along the cemetery, a reduced median width with low plantings allows for a widened sidewalk for pedestrians along the east side.

Sidewalk on Aurora Avenue

Unprotected sidewalk. No street lights. Property line is close the street, with narrow sidewalks.

Aurora Avenue and between 120th and 125th left-turn lane is not always needed.

Aurora Avenue and between 115th and 120th left-turn lane is not necessary.

Median (11ft) reduced median widen sidewalk and looking north

Reduced Median (6ft), add 5ft to sidewalk.

An underground bus way is proposed as a long-term plan, to support the increased population of the adjoining urban villages. A Rapid Ride bus route is the fastest movement passing through Aurora Avenue, hence the underground bus way could be helpful to reduce the accident rates, and afford faster, more reliable transit.

EAST - WEST CONNECTION

Since there are no public properties to create an East – West Connection, the proposed involves property owner collaboration and acquisition of a parcel for a new city park.

Organize parking areas and suggest vibrant path to connect Aurora Avenue and Stone Avenue.

Propose developing area as new park with active uses and wider path with lights to improve community resources and reduce crime on Stone Avenue.

Certain areas of the Evergreen Park Cemetery are proposed to have an easily accessible path from the Interurban Trail to Aurora Avenue.

Expected Future Condition

The main focus area for East – West Connection is the Golf Driving Range and Stone Avenue. According to the Seattle 2035 Comprehensive Plan, this area with in the Bitter Lake Village Hub Urban Village and the entire commercial and mixed-use and multi-family housing uses will be increased in density. This could be interpreted that the city is going to be more compact and more buildings will be built. Furthermore, a new urban village could be built around the proposed light rail station at on NE 130th ST and I-5 between Bitter Lake Urban Village and Northgate Urban Center. The potentials for an improved stormwater management system and recreation area for this densifying Bitter Lake Hub Urban Village, led to identifying the existing Golf Driving Range as a prospective area for a new park.

Bitter Lake Village Hub Urban Village

Existing Land Use Distribution

Aurora-Licton Springs

Residential Urban Village

NE 130th ST and I-5

Potential New Village

Northgate Urban Center

Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map (FLUM)

Urban Village boundaries and land use data: Seattle 2035, http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/cs/groups/pan/@pan/documents/web_informational/p2273587.pdf

Commercial/Mixed-Use

Single Family

Multi-Family

Industrial

Major Institutions & Public Facilities/Utilities

Parks/Open Space/Cemeteries

Vacant Unclassified

EAST - WEST CONNECTION

Strategy

Based on feedback in meeting with community members, a playground, dog park, event / gathering space and community garden are primary program elements. A pond and wetland area to manage stormwater is proposed as well as a recreational water feature.

Organized Parking Area

Connection

Community Garden

Recreational Water Feature Dog Park

Playground Swale

Hydrology

Civic Defragmentation

CONNECTIONS ARE OVERLAPPED, INTERTWINED AND INTERACTED.

In the future, corresponding to Seattle 2035 Comprehensive Plan, there can be significantly greater density in this area, as shown below with dashed lines. The underground bus way and new park are overlapped and connected by an open path to reduce dark space and crime. Through developing more connections and more collaborating plans among property owners, the overlapped, intertwined and interacted spaces will be increased to build a vibrant and healthy community.