Seattle's New Stadium District: Proposing A Socially Connected and Housing Dense Stadium District

Abstract

Currently, there are two notable problems within the urban fabric of Seattle: the lack of housing units (including housing types) and minimal social connectivity for its residents. The housing issue is part of a wider crisis across America and around the world. Within Seattle specifically, the city aims to build 112,000 new housing units by 2044, highlighting this urgent need for new construction. As for social connectivity, over the last fifty to seventy years planners and designers have largely prioritized the needs of cars in building cityscapes, rather than the people and life within the city itself. However true, in my view, the core of the issue is that we have left our most sacred urban spaces isolated and disconnected across multi-grdded obsession. The purpose of this thesis is to propose a feasible solution to the problems faced by Seattle that are mentioned above. This thesis will not be a proposal for all 112,000 housing units called for by the city, nor to address social connectivity throughout Seattle, but will act as a guide for the District's redevelopment for the City of Seattle to follow. This thesis begins with a series of analyses across Seattle detailing various aspects of Seattle's built environment. The guided selection leads into the case background of the selected site, relevant literature, a manifesto of the approach, and precedents reviewed via the lessons learned. Followed by a 3D model and renders which will be the guide to how Stadium District can be redeveloped. Seattle's Stadium District has several flaws in terms of housing and social connectivity, particularly due to its industrial past and liquefaction concerns. Despite this, the area still has potential for redevelopment. It can become a space where fans gather and enjoy life, where greenery is reintegrated into the urban environment improving livability and economic vitality. Although the modeling section of this project was only allocated enough time to create second iterations, that is not a final and more polished third iteration, the resulting model still conveys both the specific ideas and guiding principles of the redevelopment project.