In Seattle, a Reborn Park Reflects a Broader Revival

Over the past six years, the Seattle parks department has made great progress in sprucing up Denny Park, the city's oldest, giving new life to the "last stand of big trees amid the city's grit and gray."

1 minute read

October 9, 2012, 2:00 PM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


Once beset by prostitution and drug dealing, Denny Park has come a long way since the city began a concerted effort to revive the park and add new attractions, reports Lynda V. Mapes. The renewal of the park, coinciding with a boom in the adjacent South Lake Union neighborhood, has brought "a renaissance of appreciation" to the quaint refuge originally dedicated in 1884.

"It's a far cry from the scene here not long ago, notes Dewey Potter,
spokeswoman for Seattle Parks and Recreation. Sure, you will still see
people reposing on the grass here and there for what looks to be more
than an occasional nap on a stolen afternoon," observes Mapes. "But there are no encampments here, no sense anymore of the takeover
of this public space by drug dealing and prostitution so brazen that
park staff used to observe the goings on through the windows of the
administration building."

"There isn't anything in the urban core like this, it's pretty unique,"
said Mark Mead, senior urban forester for Seattle Parks and Recreation.
"It's such a concentrated mass of trees, right in the heart of the
city."

 

Wednesday, October 3, 2012 in The Seattle Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Bend, Oregon

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing

The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

5 hours ago - Strong Towns

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

6 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

Green Skid Row mural satirizing city limit sign in downtown Los Angeles, California.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents

The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.

7 hours ago - Los Angeles Public Press