Through a new competition, the city of Seattle is looking to revive and reuse the alleys of the urban core.
"Recently, Seattle's Department of Transportation co-sponsored a competition with the Seattle-based International Sustainability Institute to see if our community of creative designers could concoct ideas for Nord Alley, between S. Main and S. Jackson Streets in Pioneer Square. At a recent gala, several winners were announced with great fanfare and kudos by Councilwoman Sally Bagshaw, chair of the council's parks committee.This could bode well for the cityscape, as this is the same committee that is converting Bell Street into a future urban park.
Seattle's Department of Transportation is now supporting the creative use of the public rights of way in the city. Alleys are a relatively simple way of creating unique public spaces without needing to purchase expensive land."
Ideas for reusing alleyways range from the simple addition of lighting to elaborate plans to lure businesses into alley spaces.
Read the full story: How to make urban alleys work
Four Cities Making the Most of Alley Spaces
Urbanful examines four cities making the most of scare public spaces by reactivating their alleys with programming and pedestrian-friendly designs.
Reconsidering the Urban Alley
Alyse Nelson takes a look at a handful of alleys that were transformed from crusty dumping grounds into beautiful urban spaces.
Breathing Life Back into Seattle's Alleys
The City of Seattle is looking to revive some of its often forgotten and neglected urban spaces: alleys.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
In Texas, data centers are swallowing promised parkland
Residents who moved to Taylor, Texas for a rural community now have to contend with three data centers in their backyard.
How a Chicago-sized wind farm beat the odds and powered on
The project spanned five presidential administrations and a standoff with a U.S. military base.
MTA gives itself 30 days to transform pit into basketball court
The site has been under construction since 2022; the city originally estimated it would finish the court in 2024.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority