Seattle Waterfront Plan Dealt Setback

Landscape designer Cary Moon’s proposal to revitalize Seattle’s neglected waterfront—by replacing the earthquake-damaged highway that runs its length with a public park designed to sustain local marine life—took a blow this week. Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels publicly announced the city’s plan to replace the Alaska Way Viaduct with a six-lane tunnel.

Moon, whose alternate plan for the highway won her honors from the 2004 Next Generation® Design Competition, and the organization she co-founded, the People’s Waterfront Coalition, are continuing their campaign for a more sustainable solution. Seattle alternative weekly The Stranger invited Moon to comments on Nickel’s decision. The resultant piece, “A Bad Case Tunnel Vision,” appeared in the December 12, 2004 issue of the paper.