Between the City and the Sea: Experiencing Identity in the Changing Landscape of Stanwood, Washington

Abstract

This thesis considers the challenges rural communities face to their traditional ways of life and identities, investigates methods other, global communities use to react to these changes, and finally, offers a possible solution for a community in Puget Sound’s Stillaguamish Estuary. Central to this thesis is the question: how can a community take on demographic and climate based challenges without losing its existing self-identity in the process? The methods used to answer this include a deep site analysis, with an especial focus on local history, and my own personal experiences and attachment to the place, as the chosen site is my own home town of Stanwood, Washington.