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Seattlites learned yesterday that a consensus decision has finally been reached after years of contention. The double deck Alaskan Way Viaduct that runs along Seattle's downtown waterfront will be replaced by a bored tunnel (rather than the lidded trench version of a tunnel voters previously rejected or a new double deck structure or a broad boulevard scheme such as San Francisco adopted after an earthquake similarly damaged the Embarcadero double deck freeway there). See my post about this from last year. See a video illustration of the tunnel plan here. I will be interested to see how public reaction plays out. I would imagine such a project might be in the spirit of the in-coming president's advocacy of basic public infrastructure projects as a means of generating jobs and economic recovery. Funding will be a huge hurtle to overcome. OK, pretend you are a planner, visionary or designer, get out your visual eraser and try to picture what this scene could be minus that huge raised artery. What sorts of spaces and businesses would you allow to be developed along the stunning Seattle waterfront?
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