Location: Seattle, WA
Owner: Seattle Parks and Recreation

Located in the least expected of places (underneath Interstate 5 in Seattle), the I-5 Collonade park reconnects two severed neighborhoods and creates community gathering and activity spaces.  The design challenge was to solve a grade difference of over 70-feet and to address unsafe hidden areas and inaccessibility. The design approach focused on reusing “lost space” and utilized recyclable materials. OCI landscape architects applied Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles to address unsafe homeless encampments and public safety issues through a site design approach that increased visibility and access that was welcoming without creating obtrusive “security” measures. Since the park location is noisy, it was programmed and designed for complimentary uses, such as a dog park, a mountain bike challenge course, stairs for running, and bicycle trails that reconnect the adjacent neighborhoods to existing bicycle infrastructure. The project has been presented on CNN news as a unique contribution as creative ways to reuse forgotten urban open spaces.