STORYTIMELINE

How Storytelling Can Engage the University District Community

Megan Herzog
herzomeg@uw.edu

Janice Wang
wjanice@uw.edu

University of Washington
College of Built Environments, Department of Urban Design & Planning
Community, Environment & Planning
Senior Capstone Project 2015

CONTENT
I.

Introduction

II.

Background

III.

Literature Review

IV.

Methods

V.

Results

VI.

Assessment

VII.

Next Steps

VIII.

Appendices

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We would like to thank the following individuals for their contribution of mentorship
and involvement with the project:

Alison Buck
Executive Coordinator at the University Book Store

Christopher Campbell
Chair of UW Department of Urban Planning and Design

Cory Crocker
Active Resident and Leading Member of U District Square

Marty Curry
Affiliate Assistant Professor at UW Department of Urban Planning and Design

Kelly Hostetler
Program Manager of UW Department of Community, Environment, and Planning

Elizabeth McCoury
President and CEO of University District Partnerships

In 1967 I was a sophomore in high school at Roosevelt and one of the highlights of my life was walking
down to the University District with my friends after school and just taking in the scene. There was such a
spirit of quirkiness and laid back openness in those days, and it was fascinating for a 16 year old. We would
go into Shiga's and explore the exotic Asian goods they had in there, or into the Id bookstore to eavesdrop on
ardent intellectuals passionately discussing Vietnam, socialism, or drugs, or hop over to Hippie Hill just off
15th and see who was hanging out. The whole Ave, from Ravenna/Cowen Park all the way to the Last Exit on
Brooklyn was a magical place for a youngster just stretching her wings, and I can still remember that special
feeling of freedom and possibility so vividly every time I walk that way even now in 2015. If the telephone
poles could talk, what stories they would have to tell.
(Debra, hippie since 1967, born and raised just north of the U District)
5

ABSTRACT
How Storytelling Can Engage the University District Community
A public art intervention that tells the history of a place and encourages social
engagement will lead to a better connected community. By telling the story of a community
s past and sharing stories with its current population, people will identify with their place
and therefore, their community. Our project was to create the Storytimeline, a public art
piece that aims to enhance peoples understanding of and relationship with their
community. We chose our neighborhood, the University District in Seattle, WA, to develop
complementary physical and virtual platforms of a historical timeline for the community to
engage with. The physical timeline is displayed on ten two-foot by two-foot decals along
one block of University Way, the primary street for shopping and recreation in the University
District. The timeline activates the sidewalk by tangibly representing the communitys
history via written and graphic information. The virtual platform, our website, allows users to
share their experience of the University District and read others stories. By combining
literary research with social observations of the timeline, voluntary submissions on the web,
and in-person interviews, the Storytimeline documents a holistic understanding of the
University District. Through these efforts, the Storytimeline can become a catalyst for place
attachment and social capital, where a shared understanding of place can lead to a better
connected community.

INTRODUCTION
The Importance of Social Capital
Social capital is the social relations, connections, and networks that individuals build
though interpersonal relationships (Putnam, 2000). A community that is rich in social capital
is more likely to have a high amount of civic engagement and community attachment
(Montgomery, 2013). By developing relationships between humans and their environment as
well as human to human relationships, people can create the emotional bonds that
contribute to a happier and more cohesive community.
By implementing the Storytimeline, we are highlighting our ability to create change
as members of this community. We aim to improve peoples connection with their
neighborhood, their attachment to the place. We also hope to foster social capital within the
University District. Instead of viewing the district as a transient place within the geography of
our lives, we hope that people will walk with appreciation and reverence for the world at their
feet. Rather than recognize each other as disparate humans, void of commonalities and
compassion, we should address one another as members of the same community, as
equals.

Our Passion for Design + Experimentation

As students, residents, and members of the University District community, we have
the skills, the knowledge, and the passion to make a difference in our own backyard. We plan
to use our local position in the community, our interest in design, and our spirit for
experimentation to activate an existing public space. This project signifies an experiment of
how a temporary, urban intervention on a major public pathway will engage the University
District community.

The Storytimeline will evaluate the reactions and level of engagement from community
members. This project is a catalyst for all demographics to learn and connect with a century
of history in this community. It serves as an educational platform for people to freely reflect
upon major events that have happened here. It allows them to read the stories of people in
their own neighborhood and to share their own stories about the meaningful events and
memories that have been formed as a part of the University District community.

An Opportunity Presents Itself

As of 2015 in the University District, there is a three-acre shortage of public space, as
defined by City of Seattle standards. This makes it difficult for people to engage socially in
the public realm. A rift has formed among the residents of this community, due to the large,
transient student population who coexist with long-term residents. This divide is apparent at
community events and meetings where the student population is often underrepresented.
This societal division is related to the idea of home and how different demographics identify
with place.
Due to the shortage of public, open spaces, the University District lacks a platform
for social capital to flourish. As the University of Washington is a major component in the
community, it is common for people to equate the collegiate culture of the University with the
University District culture, inadvertently marginalizing the other demographics who live here.
This project aims to bring together the diverse populations by meeting people where they are
and placing all participants on a level playing field. By utilizing the sidewalk, we are taking
advantage of a major pathway that is currently used by all members of the community. By
intervening in this place, we will be able to foster connections between people and place.
This is why we have created the Storytimeline.

BACKGROUND
The History of University District
The University District is the first northern suburb of Seattle, often referred to as a
city within the city. As Seattles northern expansion began in 1891, the U District has been
around for almost 125 years. The University of Washington campus has been the
neighborhoods defining characteristic since 1900, displaying elements of a fully functioning
city that were quickly woven into the urban fabric. Seattles first Worlds Fair, the AlaskaYukon-Pacific Exposition held in 1909, was a pivotal time for this region as paved streets,
shops and residential units proliferated like wildfire. University Way, also known as the Ave
has been a main street for the district since the very beginning. This primary commercial
strip the been home to street cars, an electric trolley and the Metro bus line. In its golden age,
the Ave gave the University District a well-regarded reputation. This reputation has run the
gamut of his and los in the past century and has become a mainstay for the district as
students, residents and other community members utilize the wide range of amenities to
fulfill their basic needs. It is the unique history of the University District that gives this place a
rich and ever-changing story.

We began by researching the history of the U District, back to its very origin. We used
a variety of methods to develop a holistic understanding of the communitys history. We
used resources such as HistoryLink.org, the UW Libraries Digital Collections, old news
articles, and relevant independent websites. We found the blog of local historian, Paul Dorpat
and spoke with Patty Whisler, the godmother of the U District. This research became the
backbone of our project, providing us with a fresh perspective and an obligation to tell the
story of the University District. We summarized our findings into ten key stories that date
from the year 1891 to 2021. These stories were fated to become the first phase of the
Storytimeline, as outlined below.

1
The Brooklyn Addition to
Seattle was named after
Brooklyn, NY as they are both
located across the water from
their larger-city counterparts.
This map depicts Seattle prior
to its northern expansion,
which began in the University
District.

2
A worlds fair was held on the
University of Washington
campus with a total of
3,740,551 people in attendance.
The fair helped develop the
district by establishing roads,
buildings, gardens, and the
iconic Rainier Vista, seen
above.

10

3
The University District
became a major commercial
center with the opening of the
University Book Store, Bartell
Drugs, and Nordstroms second
store on the Ave. Soon after,
Sears and JCPenney provided a
boost to the local business
scene.

4
Streets in the University
District were regularly blocked
for rallies pushing the sale of
War Bonds. A platform would
be moved into the middle of
45th Street where civic leaders,
musicians, actresses and
celebrities would give rousing
speeches.

11

5
Seattles first underground
newspaper, The Helix, grew out
of discussion at an alternative
college in the University
District. The Helix presented
anti-war articles, philosophical
ramblings, poetry, artwork,
and event announcements.

6
Thousands of University of
Washington students took to
the streets to occupy and block
I-5 as they protested the
killings at Kent State
University and the invasion of
Cambodia during the Vietnam
War. Their march ended at City
Hall where students peacefully
dissipated.

12

7
The Farmers Market, now
located on 50th Street and
University Way, sprung to life
with more than 40 vendors
that sold all local groceries.
The market accepted SNAP/EBT
(then called Food Stamps) and
required a member of the farm
family to work at the booth.

8
Due to the deterioration of
commercial and social
conditions, University Way
underwent a 13-month, $13
million dollar renovation. This
project impacted local
businesses as the full ten
blocks got new streets,
sidewalks, lights, bus shelters,
trees, and more.

13

9
Homeless in Seattle is a group
based in the University District
with an aim to build
awareness about relationships
to homelessness by
acknowledging and listening to
peoples journeys. The image
above displays personal letters
that tell these stories, sent to
the organization.

10
With the University District
Link Lightrail Station opening
in a few short years on
Brooklyn Avenue NE between
43rd and 45th Street, riders
will be able to travel to
Westlake Center in eight
minutes. Residents in the
district will see an increase in
development.

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LITERATURE REVIEW
Our aim is to actively engage the University District community by presenting our
shared history on a public timeline and inviting all passersby to share their story on an
interactive website. Our purpose behind this project is to make a positive impact on our
community by installing a public art piece that serves as a platform to generate social capital
and place attachment. In the University District, we believe that there is a disconnection
between transient residents who are students in attendance at the University of Washington
and long-term residents who identify the district as their home. By encouraging social
interactions among the various demographics that comprise this community, we will
establish a social network and initiate trust in the public realm. Through the intentional
implementation of an interactive public art piece in a major pathway that also serves as a
hub for the community, this project will be self-sufficient in its effort to reach the community
and gain a life of its own. The Storytimeline is a social experiment that will foster social
capital and place attachment in our community by telling the history of the University District
through attractive visuals, written word and interpersonal relations.

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The Power of Human Connections

Social capital is the weight that networks, connections and relationships have in a
society. The individuals who form relationships with other people in a community show that
when a community is rich in stock of social capital, it is more likely to prosper (Putnam,
2000). When social capital has a felt presence in a community, civic engagement will thrive
and people will feel stronger human connections. Ultimately, social capital plays a significant
role when measuring the happiness level of a community (Montgomery, 2011). As the
Storytimeline is located in an urban setting, its societal impact is largely relative to place. In
this place, social capital is dependent on the actions of individuals in a society yet formed
according to the design of the built environment. With the proper tools, the ability to make a
difference in our community is attainable and necessary.

In Robert Putnams book, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American
Community, he identifies social capital as the connections among individuals, as the social
networks and the norms of reciprocity and trustworthiness that arise from them (Putnam,
2000). Relating social capital to more distinctive concepts, he elaborates just as a
screwdriver [physical capital] or a college education [human capital] can increase
productivity [both individual and collective], so too social contacts affect the productivity of
individuals and groups (Putnam, 2000). We must realize that we do not live in isolation and
that the benefits of community arise from a collective effort. The idea that two heads are
better than one should be realized and applied on a public scale. Putnam argues that social
capital needs to be developed through interpersonal relationships that start on an individual
basis and sequentially build up to trust in local communities, local governments and the
institutional government (Putnam, 2000). He states the core idea of social capital theory is
that networks have value (Putnam, 2000). These networks of community engagement form
sturdy and beneficial norms of reciprocity, for example, Ill do this for you now, in the
expectation that you (or perhaps someone else) will return the favor (Putnam, 2000). In the
public realm this may look like anything from picking up trash on the street when you see it,
hoping others will do the same; to showing kindness to a customer, only to find out later that
they are your hairdresser. All members of the community will benefit with increased levels of
social capital.

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The most powerful ingredient

for happiness is having strong
and positive social connections.
(Montgomery, 2013)

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Putnams definition of social capital has been referenced in many other studies such as that
of Eric Beinhocker, the Executive Director of the Institute for New Economic Thinking at
University of Oxford, who adds social capital is the emergent result of agents creating
cooperative networks (Beinhocker, 2006). Social capital develops from individuals at the
local level which then drives more cooperative social networks and creates social trust
among society. Through the small actions of individuals as well as institutionalized efforts,
we have a duty to reconnect with the people in our place (Putnam, 2000).

Charles Montgomery, a Canadian writer and urban experimentalist, argues in his

book, Happy City, that the design of the built environment will affect civic engagement, and
therefore influence the amount of social capital in a city. The design of the built environment
includes the infrastructure of a city such as the street grid, the architecture, the public
spaces, the green spaces and all other built forms in between. The place in which people live
has the ability to bestow a positive or negative effect on how they socially engage with their
community. To argue the effect of urban planning on community engagement, Montgomery
then states that Since the Enlightenment, architectural and city planning movements have
increasingly promised to nurture the mind and soul of society (Montgomery, 2013). He
expands this point using studies in small towns for example. Not only did he find that people
in small towns are generally happier than people who live in big cities, but he found that the
best places to live were typically found off the beaten path, outside the spotlight
(Montgomery, 2013). If life satisfaction is influenced by location and urban environments are
not the ideal location, work must be done in the University District. An effort must be made
for people to connect with their place because, as Montgomery reassures us, the
environment we live in really does matter (Montgomery, 2013). In his own words,
Montgomery references Putnam by stating, the most powerful ingredient for happiness is
having a strong and positive social connections (Montgomery, 2013). Our life satisfaction is
correlated to where we live and who we are surrounded by in our living environment. The
design of the built environment is a key factor in improving social capital and fostering trust
and happiness at the community level (Montgomery, 2011).

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The Relationship Between People and Place

Place attachment is the bond between people and places that evolves from an
emotional understanding of their environment (Low and Altman, 1992). Our idea of places
differ from spaces because we identify places by the bounds, meaning and values that
people ascribe to it. Places are crafted through the encounters, experiences and aspirations
that emphasize human sentiments and relationships (Tuan, 1977). In their analysis of place
attachment, Low and Altman described that place attachment may contribute to the
formation, maintenance, and preservation of the identity of a person, group, or culture. And, it
may also be that place attachment plays a role in fostering individual, group, and cultural
self-esteem, self-worth, and self-pride (Low and Altman, 1992). To foster place attachment,
we must first be familiar with, utilize and depend on our place. When we partake in the
actions and interactions of our daily lives, our surrounding environment, our stage, gains
meaning as it becomes a reflection of our social and cultural experiences (Eisenhauer, 422).
Place attachment is therefore the core of a cyclical human process which relates our
understanding of ourselves to our understanding of the environment to our understanding
and identification with our culture. Our culture is more than a mere sum of parts of people
and place. Rather, it is the robust essence of human life that can and should be nurtured
through small independent actions. All people have the ability to make a difference in their
community.

In John R. Stilgoes book, Outside Lies Magic: Regaining History and Awareness in
Everyday Places, he explores the role of the environment in our daily lives. Stilgoe describes
our place as The whole concatenation of wild and artificial things, the natural ecosystem as
modified by people over the centuries, the built environment layered over layers, the eerie mix
of sounds and smells and glimpses neither natural nor crafted -- all of it is free for the taking,
for the taking in (Stilgoe, 1998). This description begins to draw out the nondescript
elements of a place. Taking the Ave in the University District, the location of the Storytimeline
for example, its unique history is seen in the hodgepodge of multicolored bricks on the walls,
slowly replaced through the years. It smells like coffee, shwarma and gasoline and sounds
like the stop-and-go of public transit intertwined with street performers, footsteps and
hurried phone conversations. All passersby are familiar with these elements of the Ave.

19

The people are familiar with their place. However, Stilgoe argues that it is our active
exploration of that place, our ability to observe and know the world around us, that gives it
meaning. He states that the built environment is a sort of palimpsest, a document in which
one layer of writing has been scraped off, and another one applied, that through time,
history is on the wall, but only those willing to look up from newspaper or laptop computer
glimpse it and ponder (Stilgoe, 1998). When we begin to notice and understand our place by
putting these elements in spatial context or arranging them in time, they acquire value
immediately (Stilgoe, 1998). When we give places value, we create a relationship between
our environment and our emotions.

In Society & Natural Resources: An International Journal, Brian W. Eisenhauer, Richard

S. Krannich and Dale J. Blahna explore our emotional relations with place in their article
Attachments to Special Places on Public Lands: An Analysis of Activities, Reason for
Attachments, and Community Connections. This article states that People develop a type of
attachment to some places on public lands that constitutes a unique sense of place that
involves emotional connections with and intense caring for these landscapes... and further
that ... sense of place refers to the connections people have with the land, their perceptions
of the relationships between themselves and a place, and is a concept that encompasses
symbolic and emotional aspects (Eisenhauer, 2000). This idea can be applied to all places.
In reference to the Storytimeline, we draw on the University District as a place with a name
that can be thought of and talked about by all people as well as the Ave itself, as a major
pathway within the district that has taken on the attributes of a place. The Ave can be
identified as a place because of its locality. Eisenhauer, Krannich and Blahna define locality
as a territory where people meet their daily needs together (Eisenhauer, 2000). On the Ave,
the Storytimeline is situated on the facade of the University Book Store. This intentional
placement was decided on because of its location and use as a central hub in the University
District. Students, residents, visitors, the homeless population and the like all find their way
to the University Book Store to fill their various needs. The University Book Store offers
amenities such as a cafe, bank, multiple ATM machines and public outdoor seating in
addition to its function as a store, selling University of Washington memorabilia, advanced
technology, supplies of all sorts and, of course, books. The University Book Store is
multimodal, placing many people with different

20

needs in close proximity to each other. Although the outdoor seating in front of the University
Book Store is privately owned, it is highly-utilized and provides the ideal platform for our
Storytimeline installation. Eisenhauer, Krannich and Blahna support this position by stating,
The primary reasons why places on public lands are regarded as special are because of the
environmental features of a place or because of interactions with significant others at the
locale (Eisenhauer, 2000). They continue, The second most frequently cited reason why
places have special meaning was because of the environmental features/characteristics of
place, which accounted for 34.2% of all responses (Eisenhauer, 2000). This analysis reveals
the cyclical relationship between people and places. The connections that humans form with
their environments are dependent on the values that have been previously attributed to that
place by other humans. In essence, people confer meaning on the environment in ways that
reflect their social and cultural experiences (Eisenhauer, 2000). The intricate relationship
between people and places, place attachment, is formed by a sum of parts that defines the
culture. In this way, culture reflects the values of people in a place.

The Effect of Public Art Interventions

First life, then spaces, then buildings the other way around never works, claimed
Jan Gehl, a Danish architect and urban design consultant (Gehl, 2011). Here, he expressed
that the design of spaces and buildings should ultimately foster a city that is full of life. Good
design is fundamental to building social capital in a city. Design can give people the freedom
to move about confidently, to linger in buildings and the spaces in between, to find pleasure
from interactions that occur within the built environment, and to gather with other people
(Gehl, 2011). These are all important facets in the making of a good city (Gehl, 2011).
Lifeless cities generate monotonous living with segregated public spaces resulting in a need
for stimulation (Gehl, 2011). In his book Life Between Buildings, Jan Gehl advocates for living
cities, those in which the design of the built environment can stimulate the city and foster
social interactions.

21

The Storytimeline attempts to create the aforementioned stimulation through the

installation of a public art intervention. As cities evolve through time, the built environment
and the people living within it undergo constant change as history plays its course. In this
transitory time, public art can serve as a powerful tool to convey our evolving culture and
history by reflecting and identifying what our community represents. Public art provides a
lens for the community to interpret the citys cultural, social, and economic values. Public art
humanizes the built environment and invigorates public spaces. It provides an intersection
between past, present and future, between disciplines, and between ideas (Americans for
the Arts, 2010). It is a reflection of history, of place and of the people living within it.

The artists and creators of public art can assume responsibility as civic leaders and
social activists by communicating their beliefs and values through artwork to the community.
Art is a channel to communicate, reflect, and challenge societal ideals through a universally
accessible platform. Public art activates the imagination and encourages people to pay
attention and perceive more deeply the environment they occupy (Americans for the Arts,
2010). In its public setting, our project will become an intervention in the built environment. It
is art without the confining walls of a museum. Instead, the Storytimeline is an art piece that
is experienced in daily encounters. Social interaction and self-reflection is encouraged
through the installment of this public art piece. It is a catalyst for the community to learn,
engage, and reflect on our environment. The best of public art can challenge, delight,
educate and illuminate. Most of all, public art creates a sense of civic vitality in the cities,
towns and communities we inhabit and visit (Americans for the Arts, 2010).

Due to a lack of public space apart of the University of Washington campus in the
University District, we plan to utilize University Way NE, (the Ave) as our public place. The Ave
is a common pathway that is filled with traffic of all kinds, creating an ideal backdrop for this
urban intervention. This location is ideal because streets are an integral part of open public
space. Streets and their sidewalks, the main public spaces of the city, are its most vital
organs. Sidewalks, their bordering uses, and their users, are active participants in the drama
of civilization. (Jacobs, 1961). In order to invigorate interactions in public spaces, we have
targeted the grid as a platform for activities and the foundation of a lively city. It is part of the
public realm that is open and universally accessible to all, it is the public place (Jacobs,
1993).

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Public art humanizes the built

environment and invigorates
public spaces. It provides an
intersection between past,
present and future, between
disciplines, and between ideas.
(Americans for the Arts, 2010)

23

In the his 1980 book and eponymous film, The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces,
William Whyte uses social observations to conduct and evaluate how people interact with
urban spaces. His findings conclude that the best way to handle the problem of
undesirables is to make a place attractive to everyone else the way people use a place
mirrors expectations (Whyte, 1980). As a major pathway, the Ave inherently integrates all
community members in a space that is imbued with significance due to its historic qualities.
However, the Storytimeline attempts to shift the public expectation of a functional pathway
into an active corridor that encourages interactions between people and place. On the Ave,
the University Book Store, a historical landmark itself from the 1900s, will serve as the
backdrop to our public art installation. This installation will interrupt traffic on the Ave and
capture the eye of passersby so that they pay attention to their surrounding environment.
The Storytimeline provides insight into a century of history in the University District and
challenges people to reflect upon their own stories that have been woven into the University
District.

The Storytimeline as a Catalyst for Community

As people of the University District, we created this project to make a difference in
our community. To do so effectively, however, was no simple task. The Storytimeline is a
site-specific project that has been carefully crafted to appeal specifically to the University
District community. We developed this project from the inside-out, using personal
experiences, conversations and research to ground our decisions. While one aspect of
information gathering centered on the history of the University District in order to craft the
proper stories for the Storytimeline, the other aspect of this research was centered on the
theoretical framework that gave our project purpose. We have identified social capital and
place attachment as planning concepts that are key for community engagement and feasible
in accordance with our scope of work. The third element of our research looked at public art
interventions, to better understand how this project will be received in the public realm. By
stepping out of our comfort zone and into the community at large, we hope that our actions
are not only recognized, but that they serve as a catalyst for further involvement. By
interrupting the daily lives of people on the Ave, the Storytimeline makes a difference.
Whether this encourages peoples introspection of themselves, of their relationship with the
place or their position in the community, the Storytimeline provides a platform for necessary
change.
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The Storytimeline will generate social capital in the University District by connecting
people on the street and on the internet. This project provides a public and accessible
summary of our shared history in the University District. The stories that comprise the
Storytimeline can relate to all demographics. In addition, our website allows all people to
actively contribute a story about the University District that is meaningful to them. Ultimately,
this website will become a collection of stories that describe the University District through
time and the role it has played in peoples lives. When observing and interacting with people
at the Storytimeline installation on the Ave and reading stories on our website, people
increase their social capital. As Montgomery and Putnam revealed, social capital is the
source of many benefits to society such as happiness, trustworthiness, productivity,
reciprocity, civic engagement and overall life satisfaction. We will recognize all positive
influences that the Storytimeline has on peoples lives as a success.

The Storytimeline will foster place attachment by providing a name, a place and an
outlet for identity. Stilgoe believes that when people not only are familiar with their place, but
when they know it and depend on it, it becomes a reflection of their experiences within it. For
example, the Ave without people is just another city street. The mixed-use buildings impact
life on the street just as much as vacant buildings, whose entrances have been temporarily
repurposed as a stage for street performers or a shelter for the homeless on a stormy night.
While the experience of place differs among all people, the place itself remains constant. The
University District is a joining force whose culture has been formed by the people within it.

The Storytimeline is a public art intervention that has the ability to make a difference
in the built environment. Gehl and Jacobs see the impact of art in public places through its
transformative nature to stimulate the city and foster social interactions. As an interactive
piece, the Storytimeline will encourage people to engage however they choose, be it in
person, on the Ave, or on the internet. The artwork is therefore an outlet and a part of the
urban framework. Its success shows that design can make a difference and foster a city that
is full of life. The Storytimeline is a hub for people in the community to learn about, identify
with and support their place. This project will tell the neverending story of the University
District, as it was, as it is and as it will be.

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"We reopened Varsity just earlier this year. The old building has its quirks, we are mostly trying to live up to
the fact that it's from the 40s and comes from a much grander tradition. We are definitely the little guys
among other theatres, so booking the movies is a little tricky. We try to offer a broader cultural spectrum
from silly movies to more story-driven ones, like Furious 7, definitely story-driven."
(Manager at Varsity Theatre, 2015)

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METHODS
Prepare
To give this project legs to stand on and arms to reach the people, we needed to
adequately prepare. We developed a cohesive outreach plan that was derived from our end
goal. Working backwards, we knew that we wanted to have a tangible, physical timeline,
displayed in the public realm in the University District. We needed to choose the form of this
timeline and its location. We knew that the timeline would be temporary and that it must
assimilate the aesthetics of the University District to be accepted in the public realm. We
also knew that the timeline must be displayed in a heavily-used public place with lots of foot
traffic. We believed that the timeline would have the greatest success if it was situated in a
place that people already used; to catch people where they are. This timeline was created for
the people. We knew early on that turning our wish into a reality would be the largest and
most vital obstacle for this project to overcome.

We chose the University Book Store as our location, a hub of the community in the
heart of the University District. The U Book Store is located on the eastern side of University
Way between 43rd and 45th Street. It has a parking lot available on the back side and is
easily accessible by foot at any of its three entrances. The west-facing facade of the U Book
Store on the Ave serves as a place for community gathering, with seating and tables that are
available to the public. This facade also features eight brick pillars and a large brick wall.
This brick exterior is a clean surface, devoid of flyers, advertisements, graffiti and any other
form of Ave-culture paraphernalia. For these reasons, the U Book Store was the ideal location
to display our timeline, the physical platform of our project.

Our next step was to attain approval from the University Book Store to use the
facade of their business as a pedestal for our project. To do this, we used our network,
primarily Marty Currys connection with U Book Store CEO, Louise Little. We began by
emailing Louise herself and found ourselves talking to her Executive Assistant, Alison Buck.
As Louise is frequently in and out of town, Alison took our project into her own hands,
ensuring that we had the appropriate funding, time and dedication needed to make this
project a success. She personally reviewed a number of drafts of the timeline, editing our
historical accuracy and grammar. She then helped us set up a meeting with a panel of
stakeholders at the U Book

27

University Book Store

U District Store
4326 University Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105

28

Store, such as their Director of Operations and their Marketing Lead. We met with this team
from 2:00 3:00PM on Wednesday, February 4th in hopes of gaining full approval to put the
Storytimeline on the outer walls of the University Book Store. We arrived early, dressed
professionally, and arrived with a printed and bound copy of our Project Proposal in-hand
(see Appendix B.). We pitched our project to the U Book Store team in their board room and
discussed the logistics of posting our decals on the brick walls. They were curious about our
timespan, installation methods and process of removal. We assured them that our project
was temporary and that we were happy to plan around their wants and needs. We gave them
our personal information, such as emails and phone numbers in case of emergency, and
proposed that we would check in on the well-being of our project daily. Our professionalism,
preparedness and excitement for the project was enough for the U Book Store team to
approve our project. They agreed that the Storytimeline would be an asset to the community
and that there was no better place in the U District than the walls of the U Book Store for
such an intervention. With the final approval from Alison and U Book Store CEO, Louise Little,
we were free to finalize the design and content of the timeline, with hopes to print and install
the decals within the month. Obtaining this approval was a major hoop to jump through. We
were fueled with a new wave of encouragement and worked hard to move this project along.
With our location decided and approval from the U Book Store guaranteed, the next
step in our preparatory process was to finalize our decal designs and get them printed. At
the end of fall quarter, we applied for the Community, Environment & Planning Individual
Study Plan Fund. We were granted $500.00 from the program to allocate towards the
expenses of the project. We used this funding to cover the majority of the cost to print the 11
decals that comprised the Storytimeline. Creating the design for the decals was a group
effort. We went through many renditions of the decal design, experimenting with layers of
information, graphics and color. Our final design for the decals include the following: a large
image, descriptive icon, year, title, brief description, link to our website, contextual timeline,
Storytimeline logo and CEP logo. After a final review of the timeline by Alison, we sent off our
official timeline files to be printed. While designing the timeline, we heavily researched our
printing options to get the highest quality decals at a reasonable price. SpeedPro Imaging in
Seattle offered high-quality, outdoor, brick-adhesive vinyl plotting at the same price that
purchasing the vinyl and plotting the decals on campus

29

would cost us, about $12.50 per square foot. We designed our decals to be two-feet by twofeet in size, which would end up at $50.00 per decal, plus tax. SpeedPro Imaging had a quick
turnover rate and high customer ratings. We decided to put our CEP funding fully toward
printing the decals and cover the rest of the cost with other scholarship funds.
During the process of designing and printing the decals for our physical timeline
platform, we built a website from the ground up, www.storytimeline.me. For three months of
activation, the website cost nearly $50.00 in total, paid for out of our other scholarship funds.
At first, the primary purpose of this website was to feature the same ten stories of the history
of the University District that would be featured on our physical timeline, on the Ave. Upon
entering the website, visitors are greeted by an entry portal that asks Whats your story in the
University District? and can be entered by clicking a button titled start exploring. The
landing page of our website is the virtual timeline. This page began with the original ten
stories and evolved as we began to feature a collage of images to represent the holistic
history of the University District. The primary aim of the website is to allow people to directly
engage with their community. On the timeline page, website users are able to read stories
about the history of the University District, stories that have been shared by other users and
stories of people in the University District that have been collected via in-person interviews in
the public realm. By clicking the About tab, users are able to read about the Storytimeline. It
states:

TAKE A WALK THROUGH TIME

Welcome to the Storytimeline, where you are welcome to learn and share your story about the University
District.
We have a shared history that lies within the sidewalk beneath our feet. By presenting stories about major
events that have happened here, we can recognize the importance of our environment and our human
ability to create change. When we feel connected to our place, we feel at home, we feel like a part of the
community.
The Storytimeline is the first step to connecting our community. The second, third and fourth steps are
taken by you. As you walk down the block, reading, looking and reflecting on the past, remember that the
University District has remained. Buildings rise and fall, people come and go, but the sun has always risen
with

the

Cascades

and

set

with

the

Sound.

Help us turn storytelling into story-sharing by adding your own story here. Whether you saw Kurt Cobain
perform at the HUB in 1989, you met your soulmate selling tulips at the farmers market in 2001, or your
first gyro changed your life in 2015, we want to hear your story.

30

The introductory Storytimeline decal, located on the northernmost, brick pillar of the University Book Store.

31

The Share Your Story tab is the shining star of our website. The stories shared on this page
are sent to a database that we manage and use to add on to our existing timeline. New
stories are placed in line with those of the University District history to show the important
role that this community has played in peoples lives through time. This tab brings users to a
form that allows them to share a personal story of their experience as a member of the
University District community. We ask that people write the year of their story and their name
or relationship to the community so that it can be annotated and placed as a part of the
timeline on the main page. We credited the owners of images used on the website and
disclosed the original location of all borrowed works. The website is of equal importance and
standing to the physical timeline on the Ave. These platforms work in unison, complementing
the others audience, use and purpose. With printed decals and a functioning website, we
were ready to unveil the Storytimeline.

Unveil
The time had come for the Storytimeline to go live. As soon as we began installing
the timeline on the faade of the University Book Store, our name, our story and the website
would be available to the public. To install the timelines physical platform, we were to stick
the brick-adhesive vinyl decals onto the brick pillars and brick faade of the U Book Store on
University Way. The staff at SpeedPro Imaging highly suggested that we stick the decals
onto a clean surface. We spent the afternoon of Monday, March 9 th, scrubbing down the
walls on the Ave with brushes and a bucket of warm soap and water. Despite the strange
looks that we received from passersby, the walls were clean, dry and in pristine condition by
the next day. We unveiled the timeline in the afternoon of Tuesday, March 10 th. It took us
nearly five hours to post the decals on the brick surface, roughly 20 feet apart from one
another. Once we stuck the decal to the wall, we rolled over the surface with a roller to
ensure that the decal was fully adhered to the brick. When all 11 decals were posted to the
wall, ten stories of U District history and one to provide a context for the timeline, we
connected them to a continuous line. We ran fluorescent yellow outdoor tape down the
sidewalk and up the walls, drawing each decal down to the sidewalk and joining them with
the others. These were the stories, ordered chronologically and connected with tape that
formed the Storytimeline. We lined each of the decals with the same yellow tape as the
sidewalk so that they would stand out from the red brick exterior of the U Book Store.

32

We ran fluorescent yellow outdoor tape down the sidewalk and up the walls, drawing each decal
down to the sidewalk and joining them with the others. These were the stories, ordered
chronologically and connected with tape that formed the Storytimeline.

33

We chose the fluorescent yellow color to quickly catch the attention of passersby. During
this process, we found that the action of installing the timeline was a spectacle in and of
itself. Almost everyone that walked passed looked at us. We had somewhere between eight
and ten strangers stop to ask about the project. With a positive and encouraging general
response from the public, we continued on to activate our virtual platform, the website, soon
after posting the timeline on the Ave. Almost as encouraging to the in-person responses we
obtained while installing the timeline was the immediate social support that we received
from a supplementary platform, the Storytimeline Facebook page. This page is a reflection of
the website that allows direct engagement. To unveil the Facebook page, we posted about
the project on our personal accounts and linked these posts to our new page. We filled the
page with content about our project and invited our friends to like it. We flipped the switch
to turn the Storytimeline on by installing the timeline on the Ave and activating our website
and Facebook page. Our next step was to watch it run.

Outreach

To bring this project to life, we formed a comprehensive outreach strategy. Our goal
was that the Storytimeline would become a recognizable entity in and of itself within the
University District community. We achieved this by branding the project and speaking of it as
a power separate from ourselves. We began attending community meetings led by the U
District Partnership (UDP) in fall of 2014. By establishing these connections, we were able to
bring our project to the table as an emblem of the community. We met with Elizabeth
McCoury, President and CEO of the UDP in winter of 2015. Elizabeth showed a high level of
interest in our project and gave us her word of support. Once we unveiled the Storytimeline
on the Ave, the UDP published a piece about our project in their monthly newsletter (see
Appendix D.). This article states The U District is a special place. It is kind of an eclectic
mixture of things, McCoury said. We hope to see the different groups in this community
come together and become more involved [in shaping] initiatives for more improvements in
the area (Appendix D.). With Elizabeths support from the UDP backing for our project, we
then needed to reach out to the UW community. We also had an article written for The Daily
of the University of Washington that was printed and spread around campus, and posted
online (see Appendix D.). We were

34

interviewed by Naquiah Azhar in winter of 2015 and the article was published after we
unveiled the timeline, on Monday, March 30th, 2015. This article reads While many associate
the U District with crime and homelessness issues, the project aims to shed light on the
more positive and important developments in the neighborhoods history (Appendix D.). We
proceeded to share these articles on our Facebook page and encourage others to do the
same. The support from our community and our school publicized our project and gave it a
sense of legitimacy. Our project was also shared to the CEP Facebook page, the UW Alumni
Association, UW Student Life and various other, personal supporters. At this point, people
began to recognize the name of the Storytimeline and share it in conversation. The
Storytimeline was catching fire. Our next step was to ensure that we did not miss a beat of
the action.

Collect
The Storytimeline was alive. With our physical platform installed on the Ave, our
virtual platform live and in-use, an active Facebook account and our name circulating around
the U District by word of mouth, we began collecting data. By documenting the life of the
Storytimeline, we would be better able to assess our overall impact on the community. To do
this, we carefully watched the Storytimeline from every angle. This data came from: (1)
Social observations, (2) Online data mining, (3) Online story submissions, and (4) In-person
interviews. Given the temporary nature of this project, it was in our best interest to keep a
constant eye on the progress of the project. This process began the day that we unveiled the
project and transpired until we took the timeline down.
Given the nature of the Ave, it was necessary to keep a steady eye on the
Storytimeline during its two-month lifespan. Nearly daily, we would visit the site to assess the
condition of the decals and the fluorescent yellow tape. This check-up process typically
consisted of walking the length of the timeline, pressing the decals into the brick, repairing
small rips and tears, ensuring that the yellow tape was fully adhered to the sidewalk and
reapplying portions of the tape that had gone missing. As we constantly went through the
motions of ensuring the quality of the Storytimeline, this process began to feel like a second
nature. Fixing the timeline took no longer than ten minutes per day. On a few, select days of
this process, we partook in focused social observations. We collected ten hours of
quantitative data at the site. This data
35

annotates the number of passersby at the site to give us an idea of our reach in the
community. We found that, on average, 320-350 pedestrians per hour walked passed the
timeline on the Ave. From this number, an average of 56-108 pedestrians per hour passed in
the pouring rain, 102-262 passed in the early and late hours of the day, and we reached our
highest average number of observers, over 400 pedestrians per hour during the rush hour of
the Ave, as people made their way to and from work and school. These observations gave us
an understanding of our audience on the Ave. Low pedestrian counts helped us to realize
that we needed to take another approach to reach a holistic representation of the
community.
Automatic online data mining allowed us to easily record and assess the impact that
our virtual platforms had on the community. Our website, www.storytimeline.me, provided
counts that gave an insight to the number of views and time spent on specific pages. For
example, from an average of 600 pageviews, 69% of these viewed the Timeline page, 17%
viewed the home page, 11% viewed the Share Your Story page and 3% viewed the About
page. This data also told us that the website had over 2,300 total page views and an
audience size of over 250 users. In conjunction with data gleaned from our website, we also
gathered data using Facebook Analytics to draw conclusions from usage on our Facebook
page. These counts tell us that we have 237 Facebook page likes and a highest post reach
of 4,000+ people. We also learned that our highest-reached demographic is women between
the ages of 18-24 years of age. This data is automatically gathered as Facebook users click,
visit and interact with the Storytimeline Facebook page. Although we used tools to gather our
online data, the most important practice was reading and interpreting this data to make
sense of our projects impact. While our collected quantitative data speaks volumes to the
success of our outreach strategies, the stories that resulted from this engagement is our
most valuable data.
As CEP alumnus James Keblas said it best, He who dies with the most stories
wins. We created the Storytimeline for the stories. The bits of memory, history and emotion
collected during this phase of our project is the heart and soul of the Storytimeline. All work,
up until this point, was done to assist our story collection. Our initial form of story gathering
was through volunteer submissions. We advertised this element of the Storytimeline as its
primary purpose, to provide a platform where people are welcome to learn and share their
story about the University District. We asked that people help us turn storytelling into storysharing by adding
36

Take a glimpse into U District in 1993. U District Street Fair was founded by Andy Shiga (also the founder of
Shiga's Imports) in the mission to heal our community and create more peace among us after street riots and
protests had taken place. It has been widely successful since then - celebrating its 46th year on May 16th &
17th, 2015.

37

their own story to our projecting, engaging as a member of the University District community.
Volunteer submissions were prevalent at first and slowed to a halt as our asks became
more infrequent. While we viewed each and every volunteer submissions as a small success,
we found that the majority of people who submitted stories were people that we already
knew. This did not come as a surprise as our general audience on Facebook was drawn from
our existing circle of friends. Our short reach became an issue because these people were
not representative of the entirety of the University District community. We believe that
everyone has a story to tell, and we did our best to make this process easy and accessible
for all. To reach a greater population, we took to the streets.
We collected stories in the public realm of the University District via in-person
interviews. To muster stories that were truly representative of the U District as a whole, we
targeted people in public places. Beginning on the Ave, we would approach people who
appeared to be loitering and therefore had time to speak with us. We would begin with a
short introduction, something along the lines of, Hi there! My name is Megan and this is
Janice. We are students, doing a project on the University District. We began by creating a
timeline of the history of the U District which can be found on the Ave in front of the U Book
Store To get a better understanding of the people who form this community, we are
wondering if you would be willing to share a short story or favorite memory of your time in
the U District with us. People were often receptive to this introduction and always had a
story to share. We found that when people could not think of a story on the spot, we could
employ inquisitorial statements to encourage further response. For example, How long have
you been working here? What is your favorite thing about working on the Ave? or What
brought you to the U District? The stories that we collected on the streets were candid, raw
and real. Our reach extended from interviews with people on the Ave and worked our way
down to University Village. We collected 31 stories in total from in-person interviews. We
would ask our interviewees for permission to share their story and to take a photo of them to
post on our website and Facebook page. We would then add these stories to the running list
of story submittals from our website submissions. These stories came from all over the
district. People told stories about places and they also told stories about other people.
Overall, this collection of stories formed a written, visual and auditory representation of the
University District (see Appendix C.).

38

RESULTS
Stories
55 stories in total
24 from online submissions, 31 from in-person interviews

Social Media
Facebook likes: 237
Highest audience reach for a post: 2249
Total audience reach: 4381
Fans:
70% Women
29% Men
83% Age between 18-24
People reached:
59% Women
40% Men
70% Age between 18-24

Social Observations
10 hours of observations
Approximately 320 - 350 people per hour
56 - 108 people per hour during pouring rain
102 - 262 people per hour during early and late hours
400+ people per hour during busy hours

Website
393 visits to website
2501 pageviews
288 audience size

39

The map shows the places to which people have demonstrated positive
attachment in their story submissions.
40

ASSESSMENT
Limitations
The main limitation we faced was the conflict of time scheduling during the school
year. The preparatory phase of the Storytimeline was the most time-intensive process. The
preparation work, which involves research, design, the attainment of approvals and the
production of materials, required our entire work effort from January to March. We installed
the Storytimeline at the end of winter quarter in March when there was significantly less foot
traffic on University Way. The physical timeline received more attention and instigated more
reactions from the passersby in the first week than in subsequent ones. We were limited by
Finals Week and Spring Break to carry out the necessary representative observations to
document the initial reactions from our community.

The design of the environment in which we embedded our intervention was a vital
factor in the effectiveness of attracting awareness. The sidewalk of the U Book Store is not
designed in a way that encourages people to linger and ponder, and its open space exposes
people to the natural elements. During the sunny days, people are more likely to pay attention
to the Storytimeline, whereas when it was cold or raining in the winter, people usually walk
through it in a frantic speed with their heads down and eyes casted on the ground. Therefore,
we were limited by weather conditions to attract more pedestrians attention.

In addition to the factors from the environment, our temporary installation is situated
on the Ave, a place of eccentricity and rebellious culture. Our project was faced with the risk
of receiving vandalism and damage in the public realm. Out of the eleven decals, one was
written on with a bold, black marker with the statement, Anti-war! two weeks into the
exhibition. Two of the decals were partially torn down after four weeks and had to be
completely taken down due to aesthetic reasons. This left the Storytimeline with only have
nine stickers on the sidewalk for the remainder of our exhibition period. Our physical
platform was tagged, torn, and challenged.

Our virtual platform, including the website and Facebook page, was both a benefit
and a detriment to the breadth and depth of the stories we received and the audience we
reached.

41

Marketing the Storytimeline via Facebook was effective in connecting our friends and friends
of friends. However, this platform limited our online fans and followers to largely fall within
the demographic of female college-aged students, similar to ourselves. The majority of
people that we reached online lacked was lacking in diversity and accuracy of the
representation of the U District community.

Lastly, we recognize the difficulty to tangibly measure our impact on the community.
The lack of social capital and place attachment was the root of this projects creation.
However, there are currently no metrics that are universally accepted to measure and
quantify long-term sentiments in such an abstract form. From the various authors and
studies that weve researched, we can only be certain about one thing; the more positive
connections between people and place there are, the better it is for a cohesive and robust
community to develop. With the nature of the Storytimeline as a public art project, it is
difficult to measure the impact and assign quantifiable degrees of significance to the results.

Successes
The biggest achievements of the project was the creation and establishment of a
new brand, the Storytimeline, and it was our first step to claiming legitimacy and a presence
in the community. The brand design was an essential piece of our methodology. We
reinforced the brand repeatedly in our outreach strategies and assigned clear identities to
the materials that we have produced for both the physical and virtual platforms. The name
and logo are deliberately designed with black and white colors, san-serif typography, and
symbolic geometrical elements to represent universality and simplicity that can be adopted
by any other neighborhoods.

The design decisions we made, including color choice and placement were
successful in attracting attention in the short span of time we had. Due to its prominent
location at the U Book Store and the bright fluorescent colors of the materials, the timeline
served as an effective intervention and provided a point of triangulation for people to stop,
watch, and engage. Every person that we have talked to about the project has unanimously
expressed

42

familiarity with encountering the project on the Ave during their daily lives. The timeline has
easily been exposed to 1000+ pedestrians per day for two-and-a-half months. For every
pedestrian encounter, our physical platform held a consistent presence that educated the
public about our shared history in the U District. People who chose to pay more attention to
our project would have learned a little more about their home and took away these pieces of
history and knowledge of home with them. In terms of online engagement, we reached over
4,000 people on the internet and gained a fanbase of almost 300 people in six weeks. Our
social media fan page was successful in providing a platform for social interactions,
allowing the audience to access, share, and comment on new stories from community
members every day. In addition to the interactive element, the website had successfully
received and published 24 online story submissions. The website was a suitable and useful
platform for story collecting in the modern digital age. As the stories accumulate over time,
the website becomes a collage of portraits, landscapes, and memories, showcasing the
holistic history of U District and a juxtaposition of different moments in time.

We addressed the aforementioned lack of diversity on social media by collecting inperson interviews on the streets of the University District. We collected 31 stories from
pedestrians, business owners, street musicians, and various demographics of people that we
encountered while walking in the U District. Our stomping grounds included the campus
grounds of the University of Washington, University Village, the Ave from NE 41st to NE 55th
St and adjacent streets, and events on the Ave such as the Saturday Farmers Market and
May Street Fair, etc. These street interviews were very successful. They allowed us to
increase the breadth of our stories, expand our scope of U District community and become
more inclusive and diverse.

When we began collecting stories, we had no expectations or structure to what the

stories are required to include. As the Storytimeline naturally unfolded, we found that each
and every one of the stories that we collected demonstrated genuine connections, be it
between people and people, or people and place. Many stories depicted a memory of doing a
favorite activity with favorite people at a favorite place. From peoples responses, some
places have remained constant, such as cafes, theatres, and bookstores of local favorites,
and some places have changed drastically, such as new transit and housing development.
Some stories
43

happened forty years ago, and some happened just two weeks ago. The success of
Storytimeline comes from the people of the community. The collective total of these stories
shaped the final form of the Storytimeline. Every story shared has left a positive sentiment of
place and/or people in place. The storytellers identify themselves positively with the
community and demonstrate place attachment as well as social capital. We captured people
s sentiments, transformed them into representations of our community and successfully
broadcasted them to the Storytimeline community.

The Storytimeline grew through difficulties and challenges, such as measuring social
capital and place attachment. As these abstract sentiments developed over a long period of
time with the complexity of cultural influences, the Storytimeline focuses on surfacing these
ideas and raising awareness and recognition for people to be heard. By broadcasting stories
from community members of the University District, people will be able to see different
perspectives to build empathy and understanding for our home and our community. In
bringing public art to a place, we are provided with a new way for people to experience
familiar places in a fresh light. Art has the ability to become a part of peoples memories and
allows communities to recognize their identity. The Storytimeline began with an idea and
was joined with action. It was an experiment for us and an experiment on our community.
Our Storytimeline came to life on the streets of University District and will live on in the
memory of the community.

44

NEXT STEPS
Our next steps will be to continue our efforts to raise awareness and maintain
ownership of the Storytimeline. We have collected over fifty stories in the span of six weeks.
Moving forward, we would like to dedicate ourselves to the further expansion of this project
to fully encompass our community. To increase the breadth of our outreach, we plan to
present this project to U District Partnership (UDP), a local non-profit organization that is
dedicated to serving the U District community, and propose that the Storytimeline be an
ongoing project under UDPs supervision. We also plan to present this project to the Seattles
Office of Arts & Culture to showcase that a temporary, local, student project can be
sustained beyond the academic realm and create positive a influence in a community. We
would like to demonstrate that the Storytimeline is applicable to other neighborhoods and
cities and that it has the potential to become an integrated platform for stories of people and
of place to be heard.

45

"One night when I was walking on Red Square, I came across a woman who is lying on her back on the sitting
platform, eyes open and body still. I went over to check if she needs any medical help, and she blinked at me
and said, 'Don't worry, I'm just looking for stars. I usually pick one star and start meditating. I let all
thoughts leave me, and imagine my spirit flying closer and closer to the star. I'd like to think that I travel to
different stars every night, it makes the daytime more bearable, you know?' Not knowing what to respond, I
just sat down and stared up into the sky with her in silence.
I still look for her as a habit when I walk across Red Square at night, but I've never seen her again. I hope she
is free of whatever she is escaping from in the daytime and still gets to keep her galactic adventures at
night."
(UW Student, 2012)

46

APPENDICES
A.

References

B.

Design Proposal to University Book Store

C.

The Stories

D.

Published Articles

47

A. REFERENCES
Altman, Irwin, and Setha M. Low. Place Attachment. New York: Plenum, 1992. Print.
Arts, Americans For The. PUBLIC ART NETWORK COUNCIL: GREEN PAPER (n.d.): n. pag.
Web.
Beinhocker, Eric D. The Origin of Wealth: Evolution, Complexity, and the Radical Remaking of
Economics. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School, 2006. Print.
Brian W. Eisenhauer, Richard S. Krannich and Dale J. Blahna. "Attachments to Special Places
on Public Lands: An Analysis of Activities, Reason for Attachments, and Community
Connections." Society & Natural Resources 13.5 (2000): 421-41. Web.
Gehl, Jan. Life between Buildings Using Public Space. Washington, DC: Island, 2011. Print.
Jacobs,

Allan

B.

Great

Streets.

Cambridge,

MA:

MIT,

1993.

Print.

Jacobs, Jane. The Death and Life of Great American Cities. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
Montgomery,

Charles.

Happy

City.

Toronto:

Doubleday

Canada,

2011.

Print.

Putnam, Robert D. Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. New
York: Simon & Schuster, 2000. Print.
Stilgoe, John R. Outside Lies Magic: Regaining History and Awareness in Everyday Places.
New
York:
Walker,
1998.
Print.
Tuan, Yi-fu. Space and Place: The Perspective of Experience. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota,
1977. Print.
Whyte, William Hollingsworth. The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces. Washington, D.C.:
Conservation Foundation, 1980. Print.

48

1891 photo
Unknown. Digital Image. Seattlepi. Seattlepi. Web. 01 Feb 2015.
http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/files/library/seattle_map_1855.jpg
1909 photo
Unknown. Digital Image. UW Library. University of Washington. Web. 01 Feb 2015.
http://www.lib.washington.
edu/specialcollections/collections/exhibits/ayp/images/copy_of_x1040.jpg
1926 photo
Lindsley, Lawrence.Christmas on the Ave. Digital Image. Pauldorpat.com. Pauldorpat.com.
Web. 01 Feb 2015.
http://pauldorpat.com/2011/07/09/seattle-now-then-war-bonds-on-the-ave/
1942 photo
Unknown. Digital Image. Pauldorpat.com. Pauldorpat.com. Web. 01 Feb 2015.
http://pauldorpat.com/2011/07/09/seattle-now-then-war-bonds-on-the-ave/
1967 photo
Unknown. Digital Image. Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Web. 01 Feb 2015.
http://radsearem.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/helix-butterfly3.jpg
1967 photo 2
Willow, Moss. Front View of Last Exit on Brooklyn. Digital Image. Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Web.
09 Apr 2015.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Exit_on_Brooklyn#/media/File:Last_Exit_on_Brooklyn.jpg
1970 photo
Unknown. Digital Image. Pophistorydig.com, 29 Feb 2012. Pophistorydig.com. Web. 01 Feb
2015.
http://www.pophistorydig.com/topics/tag/vietnam-war-protests/

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1981 photo
Wong, Barry. Members of the UW Marching Band cheer with the crowd at Husky Stadium.
Digital Image. Blogs.seattle.com. Blogs.seattle.com. Web. 07 Apr 2015.
http://blogs.seattletimes.com/take2/2014/11/25/what-was-the-most-memorable-apple-cupgame/
1993 photo
Unknown. Digital Image. Seattlefarmersmarkets.org. Seattlefarmersmarkets.org. Web. 01
Feb 2015.
http://seattlefarmersmarkets.org/images/udfm-1990s-2.jpg/@@images/80c4bb75-4e4a4d12-810a-10df4a8f4325.jpeg
2003 photo
Unknown. Digital Image. Urbanrelations.org. Urbanrelations.org. Web. 01 Feb 2015.
http://www.urbanrelations.org/dot-uw.html
2013 photo
A King County Metro Bus. Digital Image. Seattlepi.com. Seattlepi.com. Web. 10 May 2015.
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/transportation/article/Keeping-germs-off-the-bus-3536006.
php
2010 photo
Unknown. Digital Image. Facinghomelessness.org, 08 Feb 2015. Facinghomelessness.org.
Web. 20 Feb 2015.
http://www.facinghomelessness.org/
https://www.facebook.com/HomelessInSeattle/timeline
2021 photo
Unknown. Digital Image. Soudtransit.org. Soudtransit.org.
Web. 20 Feb 2015.
http://www.soundtransit.org/Projects-and-Plans/Northgate-Link-Extension/U-District-Station
Homepage photo
Ludwig, Steve. August 1971 Pro Capitalism Protesters. Digital Image. University of
Washington. University of Washington. Web 01 Mar 2015.
http://depts.washington.edu/labpics/repository/v/antiwar/ludwig/

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B. DESIGN PROPOSAL

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C. THE STORIES

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"I've heard people say that most of the architecture on the Ave was not worth saving, I kind of
thought otherwise. I was just walking around and doing some sketches, and found out that really, it
just needed more love. There were a lot of new stuff tacked on old storefronts, and it's not very well
taken care of. If it were, people might have a different attitude about the Ave." (UW student, Class of
2015)

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"One time my car got stolen, and it was returned within 8 hours with no damage.
But all my toothpaste I just bought was gone." (at University Village)

"I love all of the young people, it's a very young city in general, and there's a lot
of creativity and progressive thought." (Girl in thrift shop on the Ave)

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"Every time I go to the Trader Joe's on Roosevelt, there is a man beautifully playing the violin outside the
store, and he always has a smile on his face. Sometimes I give him money, other times I just watch and
listen. I wonder if he taught himself how to play. Another time I went to this Trader Joe's, I spoke with a
man who was selling the Real Change newspaper for a while about how expensive housing is in not only
the University District, but Seattle in general. He was so knowledgeable about housing issues, relevant
policy, and which politicians are advocating for more affordable housing. He knew more than I did about
local politics and issues. I wish more people would stop and talk with the individuals selling the Real
Change newspapers instead of uncomfortably avoiding eye contact with them." (UW Student)

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"I first came to Seattle six years ago to hit the road, and I've done everything - I sold flowers, took it
out of dumpsters at Pike Place, cleaned and sold them, I shined shoes, played music, and told stories.
The U District is amazing - it's awesome to see so many young people getting an education. People
are generous, and they appreciate local culture, local musicians and artists. It feels good to be
welcomed. I've been to cities where creating art on the streets is illegal, so that's really the best part
of U District to me, it's the culture. I'm setting up a communal living house in Tacoma. My friends
are setting up biodynamic gardening. We have a big yard and two dogs. My friends are cleaning the
house right now, and I'm out making money." (Musician and storyteller on the Ave)

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"Let me tell you, the U district is amazing! This is the place for young people to get their
education. It is a place to come - when you want to be free, you come over here, it is the
place to be!
I used to be in a group called "Moment in Time," we sang in front of Starbucks at Pike
Place three to four years ago, that's me. We have no group anymore because people had
strokes and died, but we were together for 20 something years. We sing everywhere! For
Bill Gates, Paul Allen, football team, baseball team, we've sung for everybody and
everywhere." (Singer on the Ave)

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"My favorite Ave interaction of all time occurred as I was en route to a Husky home game, stopping at
Starbies with my gal pals for pre-football PSL's (pumpkin spice lattes) like all basic bitch freshmen
girls do. I was wearing my new Husky hat (the kind that literally take a husky stuffed animal and
massage it into a hat-like-shape) and was striding confidently; ripe with Husky spirit and the kind of
shivery unknown that only freshmen year can bring when all of a sudden, the King of the Ave was
before me. (Side note: I refer to a particular gentleman as the 'King of the Ave'. He is clad all in black,
silver studs, and turquoise jewelry, he has long silver hair, and he wears a huge black cowboy hat
emblazoned by a real taxidermied eagle. At least I think it's real. It certainly looks it.) Anyway, the King
of the Ave almost passes me, then stops, turns, and looks at my stuffed and fluffy Husky hat, pitiful in
comparison to the full fledged animal affixed to the top of his proud cowboy hat. With a dissatisfied
grunt, he spat at me 'Put a REAL beast on your head', and then strode away muttering. I have never
felt so humbled. And that hat is now one of my prized possessions." (UW Student, Class of '15)

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"I have to make ends meet because of my disabilities. I've tried panhandling and I don't feel good
about myself doing that, so I turned to art and tried selling these. I'm 61 and I've been working in
art for 40 years. Most of my drawings are from memories. When I draw, it feels like a spirit
guiding my hand. They almost paint themselves, really, and most of them are done left handed,
too." (Artist in front of Trader Joe's)

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"The Autumn Quarter of my Freshman year I had an assignment where I had to make a film that
was about the environment. I decided to make a film about my new environment, my new home in
the U District community, I made a film interviewing various people who lived in the U District,
from various students living in the dorms,in the greek system, and off campus. I also interviewed
those living as part of the tent community on 45th outside the Congregational church. I got to
learn so much about each of these individuals lives and stories. Making this film was so full of
adventure and one of the best experiences I've had. It really made me appreciate not only living in
the University District but appreciate being part of a community." (Student at UW)

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"The Ave has its own story, its own history and its own distinct characteristics. The
most amazing thing about the Ave is that we are ALL a part of it. We as the U-District
community make the Ave a truly special and unique, yet inviting place. From college
kids, to little kids, all the way up to previous alumni-- everyone is contributing to this
history and it is so incredible and satisfying to be a part of something that brings our
community together. There is not one memory I could share because these memories
will continue evolving for years to come." (Student at UW)

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"On May 9, 2013, I was on the bus leaving the University to my home in North Seattle. Just like at
the end of any other workday most seats were taken, people were looking at their phones and it
was quite quiet. This all had started to bother me about a year back when I'd started wondering
why buses in the U District, and Seattle at large, were not more convivial. Why was there so little
conversation as people patiently spent minutes to hours sitting next to others they did not know?
I sat down next to a Filipino lady staring out the window. I fumbled with my phone for a few
seconds, contemplating. I knew we would have things to talk about but would she have any
interest talking to a student? Would she be annoyed by me disturbing her peace and quiet?
Determined to break the ice, I said "Long day at work?" She immediately looked over and smiled.
Curious to hear her story, I went on and asked her any question that came to my mind. We ended
up talking the entire bus ride, exchanging questions, laughs and sympathies.
Nenita worked at the UW Tower but it turned out she lived in Shoreline and that we lived not too
far from each other. When I told her I loved Filipino food she gave me the biggest smile and with
much pride, told me she made the best lumpia and invited me over to her house that very second.
I was so shocked and delighted. I told her sadly that I had to go somewhere in the evening.
Mother's Day was coming up so I asked her if she had any kids. She told me she did. It took her 10
years to come to the U.S. but she was still waiting for her children in the Philippines to get their
visas. My heart ached. This wonderful woman who had so openly invited me to her home was
waiting for kids for a decade. If only I could have come to her home and been her daughter for one
day.
Before I left the bus, I still wished her a Happy Mother's Day, not sure if her Mother's Days were
ever quite happy ones, and that told her that I hoped so much that her children joined her soon. I
could have not started a conversation with her. I could have been content thinking about my day
or my life. But talking with Nenita gave me a full of range of emotions and I felt a lot more human
after that one 40-minute bus ride." (373 bus rider)

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D.
Published
Articles
The Daily

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D.
Published
Articles
The U
District
Partnership

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Thank you!

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