Sustainable Belltown

Next Brownbag: “Where's The Family in Multi-Family?”

 Often, I post events like this one to our calendar page, but there is something really special about this one.  This event should empower us all in designing our neighborhood.  I hope to see you at Great City's next brown bag event because we can make a difference, and in this sense, our knowledge is power.

This event is a must for anyone in Belltown who has ever thought about families, or missed the laughter of children in their daily lives.  Children keep us young, give us purpose when we are feeling down, and help us to keep our 'eyes on the prize' of sustainability in our neighborhood.  

Where: GGLO Space at the Steps
1301 First Ave, Level A
Enter through door located about 1/4 of the way down the Harbor Steps (click for map)
Date: Thursday, February 25, 2010
Time: 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Smart Growth policies mix housing with jobs, retail, and cultural facilities on compact urban infill sites in order to reduce driving and minimize sprawl. Up until recently, Seattle has had a boom of urban housing. But a closer look at the types of housing built in Seattle's urban centers reveals that the vast majority is geared to young singles, young couples and empty nesters. Where are the children?

Seattle has fewer households with children than every other major US City and about half of the King County average. Healthy communities include children, and a City's future is dependent on them. More critically, not providing options for families in urban areas leads to sprawl elsewhere.

Bringing more families into multifamily housing requires a number of design, planning and policy decisions that work together from the individual building and the street level to the larger neighborhood scale. Each decision is critical to the health and vitality of our City, as well as to families. This presentation will outline those requirements and provide fodder for a lively discussion.