Bell Street Design
Li Yang   Nov 14.2018
Due to its temperate maritime climate, Seattle's abundant rains throughout the year have long been considered a model for sponge city design. Since the launch of the city's streetscape design guidelines in 2005, the urban streetscape transformation has also received extensive attention. Seattle's streetscape renovation projects have also come one after another.

Introduction

Due to its temperate maritime climate, Seattle's abundant rains throughout the year have long been considered a model for sponge city design. Since the launch of the city's streetscape design guidelines in 2005, the urban streetscape transformation has also received extensive attention. Seattle's streetscape renovation projects have also come one after another. The traditional network format block, mixed-function building layout, blends into the modern urban design concept - a wide-ranging urban public space network, slow-moving road runs through the entire city center, open block layout, rich building facade and space structure Focusing on the line of sight between the street and the building, the function of the composite city streetscape, etc., the implementation of all these new design concepts has brought new vitality and vitality to the urban center.
Bell Street Design

Reason to Be Selected

The traditional network format block, mixed-function building layout, blends into the modern urban design concept - a wide-ranging urban public space network, slow-moving road runs through the entire city center, open block layout, rich building facade and space structure Focusing on the line of sight between the street and the building, the function of the composite city streetscape, etc., the implementation of all these new design concepts has brought new vitality and vitality to the urban center.

Highlights:

Good public space network

Convenient slow lane connection.

Details

There are public events every few blocks in downtown Seattle. In crowded places, public spaces and street furniture are everywhere. The design or combination with the surrounding architectural environment highlights the characteristics of the neighborhood, or the space for temporary activities, not limited to
form. Bell Street Park is a special public activity space in the public space network of the city center. It breaks the traditional form of public space, transforming an ordinary street into a street park that allows people to stop, relax, and have street functions in the built urban center. Bell Street is a street in the Belltown neighborhood of downtown Seattle, a mix of park and street functions.
Initially, due to the value of the land that was constantly being appreciated in the area, it was difficult for the community to obtain sufficient space for park green space. City officials and communities decided to adopt an innovative model to build and maintain Bell Street. The newly built Bell Street Park offers an outdoor living room and park-like experience while retaining the functions of pedestrians, cars, bicycles, buses and emergency vehicles. The former Bell Street consisted of two lanes, with parking lots and narrow sidewalks on both sides, vacant storefronts, andfew pedestrians and bicycles. The newly built Bell Street Park is a shared space for people and vehicles without a tooth design. The speed is slow, full of street life, walking, gathering, staying in small places, playing and dining. Commercially open on both sides of the road,outdoor cafes are often filled with people, attracting residents to share the common outdoor space.

Flexible geometric composition organizes park elements onto a diamond mesh, a repeating slash form that provides continuity for linear street parks. The uniform paving style and the no-tooth design have blurred the existence of the roadway and embody the concept of pedestrian priority. At the same time, the site design coordinates the status of the site and the layout of different elements. The existing complex public underground pipe network has a certain influence on the typical street trees and furniture spacing. According to the constraints of the underground pipelines, the elements on the ground are ingeniously adjusted, so that the elements of the street park are full of dynamic rhythms. At designated times, specific blocks will be designated as festive streets to support the community's regular performances and activities, encouraging healthy living habits and needs.

Conclusions

Public space is the stage for community activities.

 

FULL STORY:

How can Seattle create pleasant walking blocks?
Published on Friday, September 14, 2018 in The Urban Design WeChat account
TOPICS | Seattle | Intelligent | Landscape

Reference:

Han Liu. 2018. Urban Design WeChat account. How can Seattle create pleasant walking blocks? (in Chinese)



Lat: 47.6162
Lng: -122.343
Type:
Region: NorthAmerica
Scale: District
Field: Landscape
City: Seattle