open space quality Seattle has a fair amount of open space which is dominated by semi private plazas in the central part of downtown. These plazas are privately owned with public access often limited to certain times. t eS
In general all of the semi-private plazas are of good to average quality, but they do not add to the quality of the public realm, as they are all quite similar in size, function, and layout. They are often very anonymous and related to specific office-focused buildings adding a set of restrictive rules of behavior to the plazas.
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Downtown has very few parks and three out of four of these currently deal with safety concerns due to the lack of a mix of user groups and intended uses.
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The actual public spaces tend to be of average to poor quality, which is unfortunate as they have the potential to become the city’s local meeting places, neighborhood squares, and small pockets for families with children. Despite the fair amount of open spaces there are not obvious spaces where people typically meet for a city celebration or festival, where you meet your neighbor, or always go for coffee.
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Victor Steinbrueck Park has public benches and secondary seating, lawn, plus opportunities to enjoy good climate, views, and play.
Waterfront Park has issues with feelings of safety at night, because of the surrounding concrete wall, making it hard to survey.
City Hall Park lacks proper seating and invitations to interact. It is overshadowed by adjacent buildings and appears unpleasant and uninviting.
where are the hearts? Lack of a public space hierarchy and downtown nodes or hearts. Public spaces are average to poor quality. Many anonymous spaces with no intended use.
ANALYSIS - TH E CITY • SEATTLE PUBLIC SPACE & PUBLIC LIFE • GEHL ARCHITECTS
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