THE TRIANGLES SEATTLE, WA Aaron R. Luoma University of Washington 2007 OF DENNY TRIANGLE 2 Triangles of Denny Triangle University of Washington Historical Archives INTRODUCTION University of Washington Historical Archives The urban morphology of our cities is made a preservation tool, but not often recognized as of a complex, interweaving system of layers one. In the pursuit of economic growth, streets upon layers of history. Series of growth and are excavated and laid creating spaces of decay mimic the natural environment, creating various shapes and sizes. a rich matter of narration. These layers comprise a wealth of information about the The American love affair with the standard cities past and the people that made the city. street grid has resulted in many of our As time elapses our buildings may succumb cities being framed by large square lattices. to fi re or demolition through growth and the Determined to make these straight, right- changing of styles, but it is often our streets angled networks function regardless of the that largely remain intact. Though materials natural topography we have continually may change through time, the basic layout of leveled our cities into fl at planes of urbanity. streets tends to be preserved. They may begin Yet, fortunately, our technological intelligence with mere dirt roads, transition into cobble or has not progressed fast and far enough to brick, but eventually are paved with asphalt completely grade away all our landforms. and concrete. While a building’s footprint and Some of our great American cities are materials are often totally lost, these layers recognized by these natural landforms, (e.g. that make up a street continue. Our streets Nob Hill in San Francisco and Beacon Hill in have a way of preserving the past by the way Boston, Massachusetts). they are oriented, sized and used. Overlooked and ignored by historians and academia, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON streets and their Rights-of-Way have a way of preserving a cities history that few buildings The city of Seattle, Washington is no different, or historic districts ever could. Streets have with several hills and water bodies that enclose been untouched largely because they are its greater downtown core. Beautiful and still used and are a crucial and necessary historical neighborhoods have developed part of the urban infrastructure that makes on these surrounding hills such as Queen any city successful. The establishment of Anne Hill and Capital Hill. The early streets street grids and their corresponding utilities of Seattle were laid out in the typical grid form the transportation networks and well known to early settlers traveling from the arteries of a city. The massive amounts of larger most established cities along the east funding and acquisition rights necessary to coast. Longer, more angular streets that did dramatically change our streets have acted as Aaron R. Luoma 3 sharp angle to maintain this perpendicular orientation to the bay. It is at this sharp turn that the unique area known as Denny Triangle and its adjacent Belltown Neighborhood is formed. These neighborhoods are historically associated with the Denny Regrade. A series of massive engineering projects at beginning of the twentieth century leveled Denny Hill for more straight and level streets and other development. The current street of Denny Way (formerly Depot Way) forms the northern boundary of this angular street network. Stewart Street creates the SE border, while University of Washington Historical Archives Elliot Bay acts as the SW border of the triangle. not adhere to the traditional grid were originally It is specifi cally in the urban neighborhood of created for wealthier residents living away Denny Triangle that a number of interesting from the congested city, such as Madison spaces are created by the orientation and Street. As early as the 1880’s one gets a clear layout of these streets. picture of the street framework of downtown Seattle. Many of the streets, including those PROJECT AREA in Pioneer Square area, are oriented so that the streets run perpendicular to the face of The Denny Triangle area is named after Arthur the bay. As the natural curve of Elliot Bay Denny (1822-1899) and his family, one of turns NW, the street grid is forced to turn a the founding families of Seattle. The area is Google Earth and Author 4 Triangles of Denny Triangle but emerged as a convulsion of street development. Their placement and forms are derived from transportation engineer’s attempts to provide spaces for pedestrians as they cross streets. Some of the spaces are so much a part of the street, that painted stripes are the only distinguishing mark of a different type of space, not for vehicular use. PURPOSE This research paper will examine these particular triangular spaces within the Denny Triangle. These triangles were formed by the Google Earth and Author morphology of the urban network of streets. appropriately named for the obvious triangular The history of the Denny Triangle and its shape it creates as a whole, but it also contains streets, in its relation to Seattle, adds an a number of other smaller triangular spaces unconsidered layer of richness. The number of because of the intersecting street grids. The these spaces that occur in the Denny Triangle neighborhood is approximately 143 acres area gives an appropriate study area, with a with a total of 39 city blocks. These triangular broad range of spaces, with differing sizes, spaces range in size from small city blocks, to materials, histories, and current uses. The city small spaces no larger than a kitchen table. of Seattle is one of the largest cities in America These triangles are formed on purpose, but with the least amount of downtown open are a result of the creation of streets bisecting space. The neighborhood is currently under plots of land. Often the triangles are created massive amounts of redevelopment, where from two or more streets coming together, or buildings are being demolished and erected by a single street cutting through standard simultaneously. The triangle’s histories that square parcels, (e.g. Westlake street in the are located in the study area are encased in Denny Triangle). Much like the infamous concrete, brick and asphalt. Unveiling these Bermuda Triangle, these areas pose a number layers may reveal histories worth preserving of problems for developers and city planners. and acknowledging. These spaces possess The intersecting street grids can become traffi c the real potential for renewed interest because nightmares, and triangular parcels are often not of the feasibility of implementing new design as attractive for development because of the ideas. Many of the spaces are owned by extra cost associated with designing buildings the city, and are contained within the existing to accommodate the odd space. If the parcels ROW. The city of Seattle is constantly fi ghting are large enough, builders often simple build for more open space, funding to maintain normal square and rectangular structures, parks, partnering with private developments, leaving the rest for parking. There are also a but has largely overlooked the possibility of number of smaller spaces that are not suitable these triangles as a means to increase open for buildings or even parking. An aerial view space and the amenities they may provide to of the Denny Triangle area in 1990 shows how pedestrians. By looking at these layers that much surface parking was a part of the urban create these small triangular spaces one may landscape. Thus, these triangles are often give merit for the need to refocus the attention ignored, and disregarded as wasted space. of professionals to these triangular spaces as They are truly characterized as a genuine usable urban open space. The Denny Triangle vernacular space, an every-day space. Few area and its triangles present a prototypical of the triangles were ever formally designed, site, and the methodology of this paper could Aaron R. Luoma 5 be applied to the greater city of Seattle and other cities and their small triangles and open spaces. METHODS & SOURCES Since professional designers and academic disciplines largely ignore these vernacular spaces, most of the research methods conducted were original to the author. The large number of names for such spaces reveals the unsupported scholarship into the spaces. Some of these names include but not limited to: pedestrian islands, traffi c islands, channels, channel islands, traffi c triangles, safety island, crosswalk islands, crosswalk University of Washington Historical Archives channels, walking medians, plazas, pocket way to search for photos, and then to examine parks, and lastly no parking zone. Though the photo for signs of the triangle space in some studies have been conducted on small the location it exists today. Since many of traffi c circles in Seattle and other cities, traffi c the streets in the study area, have remained circles (or roundabouts) are spaces that are in the same orientation and layout, historical intentionally designed, placed, and often photos were a valuable source of documenting receive more attention from local residents in the different histories, uses and layers that a more suburban environment. There were these spaces are comprised of. Recent little amounts of studies as examples of how construction along Westlake Ave. and on to approach analyzing the triangles and the other streets also provided key opportunities potential uses. to investigate the layers of the street, and construction crews excavated for utility repair On site fi eld work and documentation remained and installation within in the ROW. However, a critical component in investigating the various the construction also posed some problems, triangles analyzed. Photos, measurements, as some triangles were virtually disappeared and observations of use were performed, and because of the work, creating some obvious form the groundwork for the analysis of each problems, but also showing how quickly these triangle.