Bell Street Park

Bell Street Park
Bell Street Park, May 2019
Map
TypeWoonerf
LocationBelltown, Seattle, Washington
Coordinates47°36′55″N 122°20′38″W / 47.61536°N 122.34396°W / 47.61536; -122.34396
Area1.33-acre (0.54 ha)
OpenedApril 12, 2014 (2014-04-12)[1]
Operated bySeattle Parks and Recreation
StatusOpen all year

Bell Street Park is a 1.33-acre (0.54 ha) park, created in 2014 in Seattle, Washington's Belltown neighborhood.[2] Situated in a neighborhood described as a former "hot-spot for low-level crime, drug-dealing and civil disorder",[3] and intended in part to reduce crime rates on the street,[4] the property was transferred from the city's transportation department to Parks and Recreation,[5] and it was redeveloped as a woonerf or mixed-use pedestrian/vehicular traffic area without curbs.[6]

As a woonerf, the park is described as a "grand experiment" in Seattle,[7] and nearly unique in Washington State. It won a design award from the Seattle Design Commission in 2014.[8]

  1. ^ McVicker, Katie (April 8, 2014). "Celebrate the opening of Bell Street Park" (Press release). Seattle Parks and Recreation. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  2. ^ Bell Street Park, Seattle Parks and Recreation
  3. ^ Tim Gaydos (July 15, 2014), "How useful is Bell Street Park, actually?", Crosscut.com
  4. ^ Joel Moreno (January 23, 2013), Belltown hopes new park can curb violent crimes, KOMO-TV News
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Hinshaw2014 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Seattle's Bell Street Park Is a Pedestrian Friendly Dream", Planetizen, Los Angeles, March 2, 2014
  7. ^ John White (April 12, 2014), Bell Street Park, a sign of things to come?, KCPQ television
  8. ^ "City honors 7 projects with design awards", Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce, July 14, 2014