About Freeway Park Freeway Park is a special place. It is a master work of Lawrence Halprin & Associates, a precedentsetting landscape that defined a new land use typology. It is the result of community activism and forward-thinking, a jewel of the Seattle civic process. It is an arboretum, providing respite and connections to nature in a city center. It is a civic gathering place as well as a network of small, intimate spaces. It is a thoroughfare for commuters traveling between neighborhoods seemingly disconnected by I-5. It is a home or a resting place to a few of the 11,600 people struggling with homelessness in our city. It is downtown Seattle’s largest public park – yet it remains one of its best kept secrets. The Freeway Park Association was formed in 1993 by a group of neighbors who aimed to steward the Park back from years of neglect and misperceptions of lack of safety. FPA formed an enduring partnership with Seattle Parks & Recreation to raise funds and awareness about Freeway Park and to advocate for the Park as an essential space for community building. This model of public/private partnerships in urban public space management is growing in popularity and could signal a change for public parks as communities play a greater role in the stewardship of their places.
2018 was a banner year for the Park, the Association and the Neighborhood and showcases the important role of public/private partnerships to bridge community, design and politics for successful management of public spaces.
2018 Highlights 2018 was a bustling year for the Freeway Park Association, the most active to date! The following numbers provide a snapshot of our activation, advocacy and outreach successes from the year.
62 Free Special Events 7,255 Hours of Activation 1,131 Volunteer hours 3 Community Art Installations 8 Free meals served in the park
$10 million secured for a Capital Improvement Project
75% increase in Social Media participation Average
22% increase in park
attendance from June - Sept 3