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We are faced at present with an interesting dichotomy, we are at present the most aware and apprehensive about environmental impact and changes than we have ever been in history, yet we are developing and growing faster than we have in recent history.
The goal of my senior project, and in fact my educational trajectory within the Community, Environment, and Planning major, has been to explore how we as a society can live and grow more responsibly. Seattle is the paradigm of urban intersecting with natural environment, the areas incredibly diverse and important natural ecosystems are in a constant struggle with the drive to expand and grow. In my four years here at the University of Washington, it has become clear that there is a lack of appreciation for our natural surroundings, or even awareness of their state of decline. How is it that our University is home to one of the best Fisheries’ science schools in the world, located less than an hour from historic salmon fisheries, yet many of our students have never been face to face with the fangs of a spawning chum? How is it that we boast a top level environmental sciences program, with students who rarely leave the 634 acres of our urban campus? How can we expect to progress as a society, and develop in a manner which prioritizes sustainable interaction with the environment, if our Urban Citizens have neither concept nor connection with the natural world.
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The Burke-Gilman Trail is a popular and heavily used pedestrian and cycling trail that runs 27 miles through the City of Seattle and suburbs to the north. As an urban trail, the Burke-Gilman has several “conflict zones” where changes in trail typology create safety problems for the trail users. This project seeks to first identify and better understand the nature of these conflict zones, and second, develop responsive design solutions that will increase the overall safety of the trail. To understand the circulation patterns and safety issues on the Burke-Gilman Trail, cameras were placed at three intersections to capture near misses, crashes, and unique uses of the trail space. The results of these observations highlight the design failures and the need for design modifications. The design solutions were developed by applying design best practices to the particular contexts of the trail. The design products from this project are intended to inspire action and build community awareness of the safety issues inherent in the current design of the Burke-Gilman trail.
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While many people enjoy the luxury and convenience of on-site parking, most do not know that their parking spot is raising the cost of their housing. Many cities, including Seattle, have minimum parking requirements that regulate the amount of parking spaces built for new residential dwelling units. The average cost of building a parking space in Seattle is $35,000, so housing developers drive up costs to cover the expensive cost of parking. Given the high cost of housing in Seattle, how can we change our approach to parking policies to address affordability? My qualitative study examines current policies around minimum parking in Seattle and uses case studies from various international cities to explore alternative practices. This information is supplemented with feedback from local multi-family housing developers to grasp the financial implications of my recommendations. I recommend that Seattle look into maximum parking limits and parking caps as a change in direction that could decrease housing cost through construction savings and by freeing up existing parking lots for infill housing developments.
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With 21% of Seattle youth suffering from obesity and 83% of students living within the walk zone of their school, there is a clear need and opportunity to encourage students to walk to school. A Walking School Bus aims to meet this need by providing children with an adult supervised walking group that commutes to school along designated routes. Although research shows that schools in low-income communities have the most to gain from Walking School Buses, these communities often lack the resources needed to organize such programs. Under the assertion that all students should have a right to safe and healthy access to school, this report considers how the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) can support the development of Walking School Buses at elementary schools across Seattle. This report (1) discusses how capacity among schools differ, (2) evaluates case studies of Walking School Buses in Seattle, and (3) looks toward active transportation campaigns from around the world to synthesize a vision for the future of walking to school in Seattle. The product of this report is a list of recommendations that outline how SDOT can most effectively drive Walking School Bus growth. By raising a generation of active commuters, Seattle can take a big step toward building resilient mobility systems that improve quality of life for all.
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This project aims to create a comprehensive park master plan for the transformation of the City of Westport, Washington’s Pacific Ave property into a functional public park by utilizing principles of ecological restoration and community-based restoration. Within the recently finalized City of Westport Comprehensive Park and Recreation Plan, the Pacific Ave property is zoned as a park, but is not currently used as a public park and has no intention of redevelopment by the city in the near future. The master plan is focused on research regarding site restoration with an assessment and incorporation of the needs of both the community and the City of Westport. The information gathered for this project through research and community engagement will be synthesized into a master park plan for the Pacific Ave Property that will be presented to the Westport City Council. The underutilized site has served many important uses throughout its history, and is located on the shore of the Elk River with a beautiful panoramic view of the South Bay and the Olympic mountains. With appropriate restoration, this site can be turned into a unique and valuable asset for both the city and the community.
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This project centers around a recognition that cities, fundamentally, are sites of identity. Embedded in place at all times, we are constantly in states of becoming, being formed by our surroundings and interactions and forming others in return. This becoming is one that is situated in affect. When urban planners intervene in space, we are fundamentally intervening in identity, and in processes of affective connection. With this in mind, this project uncovers how affect operates within processes of urban planning, specifically in the context of urban change and displacement. This project asks how this understanding can then be used to better imagine a planning processes founded in the affective dimension. Through an initial engagement with projects responding to processes of urban change, development, and displacement in Seattle, I find a dichotomy between planning practice, and projects from artists, activists, and residents pushing back against displacement. Artist, resident, and activist-led projects seem to be situated in the affective dimension, whereas planning practice is not. This dichotomy is significant, as it creates a climate where people and planners operate in opposition with one another. It creates a gap between the reality of lived experience of place, and decision making processes that, in many ways, govern these spaces. In engaging with narratives within projects pushing back against displacement, and with the urban planning process, I analyze why this gap exists. This project aims to lessen this gap, imagining a planning process that is fundamentally situated within the affective dimension.
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Though people of Seattle get to see street music all around them, many will never get to know the origins or stories that bring those musicians to the street. My project unearthed these experiences to humanize the performances, to share the stories of buskers with my communities, and to foster a deeper appreciation for this unique form of public art.
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Throughout history, there has seemed to be an indelible drive in the human race to put forth artistic expressions derived from self and external influence of all kinds. When a proclamation is put forward by an artist through their work, a facet of the piece arises that is crucial but often overlooked: the honesty of the creation. As an artist myself, I have been captivated by this seemingly pivotal feature in art, and how other artists interact with honesty when creating. Seeing this, the question that I have explicated for my senior project is what makes art honest? To answer this, I have interviewed twelve artists in my community regarding what they believe makes art honest. The individuals I have interviewed practice various mediums of art. I performed the interview in a semi-structured format to allow for open-ended discourse. The takeaways from these interviews were snippets of inspirational dialogue, as well as photos of the artist’s work. My end goal was a three-part product. The first was an assemblage of the findings from the interviews into this zine: a proclamation of individual expression through a self-published compilation of artistic mediums. The second product was a personal proclamation of the knowledge I have gathered concerning artistic honesty throughout the project: a musical EP that I have written, edited, and will record. The first release can be found at https://peytonwhalen.bandcamp.com/. The third product is a full script of the interviews performed, which is located on this website. Through the execution of this project, I have hoped to create something inspiring for not only myself, but for any audience lending an ear—something that makes them think critically about honesty not only in art, but in all arenas of life.