Coffee Talk 4: Place-making and Successful Streetscape Features

Coffee Talk 4:  ”Place-making and Successful Streetscape Features” – Thursday, May 24^th, at Messiah Lutheran Church (Fellowship Hall - Downstairs) from 7-8:30PM.  Speaker: Brice Maryman, SvR Design

What creates that sense of place and provides a comfortable pedestrian environment, safe for all ages and abilities?  What softens the urban environment, establishes a transition between street and storefront, and unifies one part of the neighborhood with another?  Some of this can be done with thoughtful consideration to the pedestrian environment and providing the amenities throughout a right-of-way.  This is one of the design elements that NE Seattle residents are considering as part of the 35th Ave NE neighborhood planning efforts.

This Thursday, we are excited to have Brice Maryman from SvR Design, a firm renowned for their streetscape design (among other disciplines) to introduce this subject to the community and share some thoughts on what can be done to 35th Ave NE.  

Thanks again to Top Pot Doughnuts for their support and providing delicious coffee and baked goodness for the Coffee Talks.  Make sure to put the remaining Coffee Talks on your schedule:

• Coffee Talk 5:  ”Density and its Benefits” – Thursday, June 21st, at Messiah Lutheran Church (Fellowship Hall - Downstairs) from 7-8:30PM – Speaker: Catherine Benotto, Weber + Thompson Architects
• Coffee Talk 6: “Financial realities of development.  Incentivizing successful development” – Thursday, July 26th, at Wedgwood Presbyterian Church (Fellowship Hall – Downstairs) from 7-8:30PM. - Speaker: Ellen Miller-Wolfe, Economic Development Director for the City of Kirkland
• Coffee Talk 7:  ”The Trade Offs of Land Use Planning” – Thursday, Aug 23^rd , atMessiah Lutheran Church (Fellowship Hall - Downstairs)  from 7-8:30PM - Speaker:  Erin Christensen, AIA, LEED AP ND, Mithun

Urban Design and Design Review. A Review of Coffee Talk 3

The 35th Ave NE corridor has a variety of building types and sizes.  The new 4-story, Jasper Apartment  building also provides new design questions for the community around 35th Ave NE.  As new development occurs along 35th Ave NE, such as the redevelopment of the Green House, its our belief that our community should have an idea of what type of development and what types design elements we want to see occur. 

Cheryl Sizov with Seattle DPD discusses design review.

On April 26th, the 3rd of the 7-part Coffee Talk series occurred, with John Owen from MAKERS Architecture + Urban Design and Cheryl Sizov with the City of Seattle's Department of Planning and Development spoke to the community.  Mr. Owen oversaw the completion of the Wedgwood Vision Plan, which the Future 35th Ave NE Project is largely based on.  Mr. Owen discussed various design principals and elements that the community could consider as part of review and encouraging great designs for future 35th Ave NE developments.  Ms. Sizov spoke about the design review process that the City uses to encourage developers to consider the needs of the community.  Video of both of their talks are below.  Valarie Bunn, author of the Wedgwood in Seattle History blog, provides her perspective on latest coffee talk about urban design.







There are 4 more Coffee Talks that will occur over the coming months.

• Coffee Talk 4:  ”Place-making and Successful Streetscape Features” – Thursday, May 24^th, at Messiah Lutheran Church (Fellowship Hall - Downstairs) from 7-8:30PM.  Speaker: Brice Maryman, SvR Design

• Coffee Talk 5:  ”Density and its Benefits” – Thursday, June 21st, at Messiah Lutheran Church (Fellowship Hall - Downstairs) from 7-8:30PM – Speaker: Catherine Benotto, Weber + Thompson Architects

• Coffee Talk 6: “Financial realities of development.  Incentivizing successful development” – Thursday, July 26th, at Wedgwood Presbyterian Church (Fellowship Hall – Downstairs) from 7-8:30PM. - Speaker: Ellen Miller-Wolfe, Economic Development Director for the City of Kirkland

• Coffee Talk 7:  ”The Trade Offs of Land Use Planning” – Thursday, Aug 23^rd, at Messiah Lutheran Church (Fellowship Hall - Downstairs)  from 7-8:30PM - Speaker:  Erin Christensen, AIA, LEED AP ND, Mithun