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| Tukwila: A Case Study in Community Building |  |
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This project began as a partnership between the Tukwila School District and CEEDS. For the district, it provided an opportunity to advance children's learning by capitalizing on the excitement of constructing new facilities for two of its three elementary schools. For CEEDS, it provided an opportunity to demonstrate how K-12 outreach can be the impetus for collaborative interdisciplinary learning among professional degree students. As the project is evolving, the city of Tukwila is beginning to emerge as a third partner due to its interest in improving the city's image and pedestrian accessibility. Thus, the partnership's overarching goal is to help transform learning--for elementary and university students alike. Through interdisciplinary, intergenerational programming and design/build activities, the partners hope to help transform the outdoor environment at Tukwila's elementary school sites and in the city at large. They also expect that this partnership will demonstrate how school districts can create new, community-responsive facilities by providing a learning laboratory for university students.
The site for this project is a small town just 15 miles south of Seattle that was not incorporated until 1908. The town grew to its current size in the 1960s when several neighboring communities were annexed. Although Tukwila has a residential population of just 15,000 (many of whom are recent immigrants), the 100,000 workers and shoppers who commute there daily make it the sixth-largest municipality in the state for sales tax collections. Historically, Tukwila developed at the intersection of three rivers; today it is at the intersection of three highways and other major arterial roads that dissect the city into elongated north/south islands. The confluence of highways stimulate commercial activity and provide the city with a strong economic base, but these elements have also had a negative effect on the pedestrian and natural environment of the city.
During the programming activities, university students undertook two different mapping exercises with children in Tukwila to understand their perceptions and use of the city. They asked about 100 fourth and fifth graders from Tukwila's three elementary schools to draw actual and ideal maps of the community. The children's maps of the actual community reflect the strong presence of the automobile and commerce in the city, as well as a minimal amount of pedestrian and informal play activities. Conversely, their ideal maps depict a strong preference for walking and being in touch with nature. At the conclusion of these mapping exercises, the children spent several weeks creating design proposals for the outdoor space of their school sites.
Why This Project Is Important | A Case Study in Community Building | Programmatic Requirements | Design Proposals | Next Steps of Community Building | Site Map |
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Click here for: Community-building Goals and Activities