Join us for a mobile workshop delving into the historical impact of Olmsted-designed playgrounds, parks, and unrealized boulevards on the communities of West Seattle. After the Olmsted Brothers submitted their 1903 Park and Boulevard Report, surrounding areas were annexed to the city four years later, including West Seattle.
This tour will visit two of Seattle’s first Olmsted-designed playgrounds, Hiawatha Park and Playground and Delridge Park and Playground. In addition, we will visit a highlight of West Seattle’s parks, Schmitz Park and Preserve. This area includes walking trails through a remnant old-growth conifer forest. Finally, we’ll explore the working-class Delridge neighborhood, which features the Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail, prime beaver habitat, and remnants of Olmsted’s recommended boulevards that were never built. In 1989, the King County Open Space bond issue added 32 acres to Longfellow Creek’s publicly accessible open space to enhance this excellent resource for the Delridge community.
This workshop will highlight the Olmsted Brother’s commitment to providing open space for all, reflecting their vision of a society strengthened by the communal use of public spaces. Attendees will discuss the social benefits and contributions to the health of neighborhood residents as we analyze the Olmsted brothers’ enduring legacy in creating inclusive parks and public spaces. This mobile workshop is an opportunity to connect the past with the present, exploring how design solutions from over a century ago continue to shape and enrich communities today.
Please note: This tour involves walking approximately 1 mile of uneven ground and climbing and descending stairs. As such, participants should wear comfortable yet sturdy walking shoes. Some areas on the tour may not be accessible to participants with limited mobility.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Identify how Olmsted parks and boulevards relate to the communities in which they exist, their social benefits and their contribution to the health of neighborhood residents.
- Outline the Olmsted philosophy of providing open space for all people which is built on the belief that a city park should provide “the prospect of coming together, all classes largely represented” and the Olmsted’s brothers aim for an egalitarian society that would be made more robust through common use of public spaces.
- Identify how Olmsted parks and boulevards relate to the communities in which they exist, their social benefits and their contribution to the health of neighborhood residents.
- Discuss the Olmsted brothers's principles' contemporary relevance and influence on modern planning and community development.
