Seattle

The eastern shore of Elliott Bay was once a gravel beach with a steep bluff gradually rising from south to north, perhaps 80-100' high in the vicinity of Bell Street. But one thing leads to another and now the bluff is hidden in the jungle of buildings and roadways between Alaskan Way and Western Avenue. The waterfront was built on piers and wharves, then railroads were built parallel to shore (but over the beach), and then eventually, everything was filled in and the current seawall was built.

Now the seawall is being redesigned, the viaduct is slated for removal, and the city has embarked on a grand and long overdue scheme to redevelop its waterfront into a world-class urban shoreline. Thursday night, James Corner provided additional glimpses into the emerging ideas for this stretch of forested bluff and log-strewn beach at the mouth of the Duwamish River.

WaterfrontSeattle