Projects

Northgate Urban Framework Plan

Overview

Drafted for the Seattle Mayor’s Office of Policy and Management as part of an up-zone process, the Northgate Urban Design Framework created a set of guidelines to develop pedestrian-scaled green infrastructure connections. The design framework included a pattern book of ‘off-the-shelf’ public elements to create in exchange for increased height and development capacity. The team designed a unique hierarchy of street types in order to provide a series of public realm elements available as mitigation for increased development capacity. Ranging from regional arterials to local alleys and mews, this framework of streets provides multiple, mutually reinforcing benefits. They include:

• A context-sensitive network of vehicle access and circulation functions;
• An urban fabric that will, over time, transition to a grid pattern and parcels that are flexible to support a range of redevelopment opportunities;
• Complementary networks of pedestrian routes, linear open spaces, stormwater/green infrastructure corridors and connections; and
• Safe crossings and intersections to minimize conflicts among pedestrians and the various vehicle modes (e.g., local access, transit, through traffic).

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