Public Parks

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Green Spaces

As you may know, living in Seattle makes daily encounters with nature difficult and rare. Accessible parks and green spaces are essential to one's physical and mental health. These places offer citizens an area to get active and escape the bustling city, in turn giving them clarity and strength. In a small neighborhood like Westlake, it's critical that its residents have these nearby spaces, and upon visiting, the results were both impressive and disappointing in different ways.

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Thomas C. Wales Park

Right off of Westlake's main road lies this small escape from the city. We visited this park only by stumbling upon it, as it's located right by some homes, but it ended up being quite a surprise. Despite it's lack in size, this park is full of greenery and unique architecture. The park features a sloped loop trail, friendly to both dogs and children. Despite the positives, I believe this space was limited in activity and biodiversity. There are no intentional recreational stations or spaces, which could've been possible without the overwhelming rock/metal art. Furthermore, this took away from space to display more greenery and optimize the space with much-needed nature.

However, I was pleasantly surprised by looking into the park's history. Thomas C. Wales Park had previously been occupied as both a gravel pit and a waste ground until the late '80s. It was not until action was taken just over a decade ago to transform the vacant site, covered in litter and invasive species. Today, it is an accessible green space and the built art serves as an ode to its history, as well as nesting cavities for local animals.

Lake Union Park

Lake Union Park offers more recreational space for citizens, as well as stunning views of the water. This park tends to be more popular and social, as it's accessible to people who live beyond Westlake. There are seasonal activities and a close-by museum, enticing more visitors. That being said, it is quite the distance from the majority of Westlake's residents. Upwards of a 20 minute walk isn't necessarily convenient for the busy schedules of the working millennials that make up much of the neighborhood.

What Does Westlake Think?

While walking around Westlake, we found this sticker that reads "we're losing our silly spaces." I believe this sums up the community's response to its neighborhood's unimpressive parks: residents want a place where they can be "silly", free, and energetic that is otherwise suppressed from Seattle's largely corporate environment. Though there is an expressed need, most citizens simply don't have the time to advocate for change. Just as an overrun dumping ground was transformed into Thomas C. Wales park, the creation of more green spaces is entirely possible and beneficial. To conclude, the public parks and green spaces of Westlake are a barrier to the area, but there are plenty of doable changes that can make it an asset.

Sources:

SiteWorkshop. “Thomas Wales Park.” SiteWorkshop, www.siteworkshop.net/thomas-wales-park. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

Seattle Parks and Recreation. “Lake Union Park.” City of Seattle, www.seattle.gov/parks/allparks/lake-union-park. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

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