What can a downtown alley be used for? More than you think—and a group in Pioneer Square has been working to prove it. The network of businesses connected to the historic Nord building, located near First Avenue and Main Street, has created a vibrant and charming social space in an unlikely locale: the alleyway behind their offices.
Todd Vogel of the International Sustainability Institute bought two floors of the Nord in 2007, and began using it for his own office space as well as renting space to a number of for-profit and non-profit tenants. When he moved in, he began doing small things to clean up the adjoining alley, wanting to send a signal to others to respect the space.
"We began by cleaning, painting, taking boards off the windows, adding plants and putting nicer doors up," he said. "I bought a table on Craigslist and put it out there, and as soon as I did that, people started taking care of it better. They had been using it as a bathroom, but when it looked nicer, people walked through it more often; they were taking wedding photos there."
The Nord tenants—which include local pedestrian advocacy group Feet First—and neighbors began gathering for meetings to discuss what could be done to further improve the alley. Jones and Jones Architecture, the owner of a nearby building, offered design assistance. The architecture firm hosted a charrette with community members and City of Seattle representatives, and the group decided to create a plan that would attract people to linger in the Nord alley more regularly. This October marks the one-year anniversary of the first Nord alley party. The events, which have drawn as many as 500 people in one evening, often feature live music and local art.
Based on the success of the temporary alley installation, the group recently applied to the city for a Neighborhood Matching Funds grant of $15,000 to go toward an Alley Art project that would bring permanent steel installations from local artists to the space behind the Nord. To meet the matching requirement, Jones and Jones donated the design, Vogel contributed his time as a project manager and Glasshouse Studio donated $25,000 worth of glass artwork. Eventually, the Nord community may work with One/Northwest (of which Vogel is a board member) to create a technical feedback system that allows passers-by to text their feedback to a common number.
Earlier this year, another pilot program took a big step toward turning Seattle's urban alleyways from nuisances into assets. Seattle Public Utilities removed about 700 dumpsters from downtown alleyways, eliminating a common shelter for crime and a common deterrent for pedestrians. Garbage collection contractor CleanScapes now collects bagged trash from the alleys several times each day, which means there's no need to store refuse in the hulking metal containers. As a result, the opportunity to create useful pedestrian spaces in existing alleys suddenly seems much more feasible.
Vogel believes that alleyways hold a kind of natural fascination for many people. "I think the reason is, it's right there under our nose," he says. "All it requires is a slightly different mindset, and you get huge results. Alleys are a huge wasted asset, but it won't require too much to reclaim them for the city."
If the Nord festivities are any indication, clearing and re-activating these valuable pathways will make a safer, more enjoyable and more inviting walkable neighborhood.
About the Author: Julia Levitt is a Seattle-based journalist who most recently worked as managing editor for the media organization Worldchanging.com. She is currently a graduate student at the University of Washington College of Built Environments. You can reach her by emailing the editor at editor@northwesthub.org. [A version of this article originally appeared on Worldchanging Seattle.]
