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| Proposals that Link School and Community |  |
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If Tukwila's schools are to be linked to their surrounding communities, the city's fragmented physical fabric must be reconnected. A comprehensive trail system and discreetly placed bridges would allow for safe passage over major arterial roads. Well designed bus shelters would also enhance safety and, along with a network of compasses, serve as psychological connections among community resources. |
 Reconnecting Tukwila's Social and Physical Fabric |
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Most children are transported around the city via school buses, city buses,
and private cars. Few seem to walk or ride their bicycles as a means of
transportation--or even for recreation. The City Team proposed that
non-motorized traveled be encouraged by adding new trails to the existing
system. With a comprehensive trail system in place, children would be able to
walk or ride their bicycles safely throughout the city. Here's how three fifth
grade girls imagine the trail system to be:
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 Fifth Graders' Proposal for a Trail System |
I think that a bench should be by the path because if you are walking you
might get tired. It's by two trees. You will smell the fresh air. You
will see the little birds. You can rest on the benches and feel comfortable
in the sun. The bench is made out of wood. It is a light brown color. Some trees can be different. Some could be light green or it can be dark green too because there is different types of trees.
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 Proposal for Linking Schools and Community |
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Pedestrian bridges over major arterial roads would increase safe access to a variety of neighborhood resources. Open spaces, the river, and even vistas can become an extension of the classroom, thus promoting participatory, hands-on learning experiences. At the same time, these pedestrian amenities can promote healthy, active lifestyles for children and their families. Toward this end, the Tukwila Team proposed a pedestrian bridge across Interurban Avenue that would connect the neighborhood around Tukwila Elementary School to the Green River and Fort Dent Park. The team also proposed a "lid" over Interstate 5, to be created by greatly expanding 144th Street. This multi-acre addition would join two disconnected neighborhoods with a central community space where such facilities as an open-air market, skating area, exhibition, pea patch, off-leash dog run, and recreation trails can be situated. |
 Proposed Plan for Pedestrian Bridges |
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 Proposed Enhancements for Safety and Accessibility |
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 Proposed Lid over I-5 |
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 Proposed Community Space |
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Currently children who use public transportation wait for buses on streets that lack shelters and, in some cases, even sidewalks. This lack of accommodation of bus passengers poses an extreme hazard for children as they stand in undefined areas on the shoulders of busy streets, perhaps distracted by youthful play. The Tukwila Team proposed that a high priority be placed on installing bus shelters throughout the city. These shelters would incorporate a consistent symbolic element, such as facades of old school buildings or children's paintings, to create a welcoming, meaningful space for young travelers, while also providing them with essential protection from vehicular traffic. |
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The Cascade View Team proposed that a "network of compasses" be placed throughout the city to create mental associations among Tukwila's landmarks. Each compass would be located near an existing landmark and provide geographic and spatial orientation to all the other landmarks. The compass would be a large low element seating element, perhaps surfaced with bronze panels. Standing in the middle of the compass rose, the user would be at the apex of a series of vectors showing distances to other landmarks. Those landmarks, in turn, would have compasses referencing back to that spot. |
 Proposed Psychological Connections Among Tukwila's Resources |
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 Proposed Network Compass Installation at Cascade View Elementary |
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Many streets in Tukwila offer no visual separation of pedestrians from vehicular traffic. In the worst cases, streets even lack sidewalks. The City and Tukwila Teams proposed that the routes linking schools to community resources be given high priority for installing sidewalks where needed, along with a visual buffer of foliage on one or both sides of the street. In addition, the Cascade View Team recommended that trails along the shoreline be buffered from traffic. These enhancements would promote community health and well-being by creating a safer, greener environment that can encourage an active, pedestrian lifestyle. |
 Proposed Neighborhood Streets |
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 Existing and Proposed Streetscape |
 Proposed Neighborhood Streets |
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The Thorndyke and Cascade Teams proposed that special paving systems be installed at schools and along the routes linking schools to community resources. At the entry to schools, a bronze three-dimensional map of Tukwila would be embedded in pavers to enhance the psychological connections between school and community. Along the routes, bronze images would be embedded in pavers in the vicinity of discovery stations, thereby creating a open-air museum for passersby. |
 Proposed Paving System |
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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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