A Family Friendly Downtown

Westlake Park Children's Play Area

Seattle, WA

Making Downtown Fun

The Westlake Park Children’s Play Area supports a family-friendly Seattle. The number of children living downtown has increased by 70% over the last decade to 3,000 children below the age of 12. Originally an experiment to attract and retain families, it is the first designated play space for children in downtown Seattle.

Unstructured Play

Designed to respect the qualities of Westlake Park, the space provides open-ended play opportunities that spark the imagination. The play area was carefully located to capture the attention of shoppers, accommodate pedestrian flow, adapt to seasonal events and accommodate civic demonstration.

Public Space Programming

The play space is part of a wide range of programmed activities happening at Westlake Park. Park attendance and demographics are measured daily and first-year results indicate a broader audience of park users, including over 50% women – indication of a safe and comfortable park.