There was an interesting article in the New York Times last weekend, which examined millionaire Paul Allen's impact on the city of Seattle, from his construction of the Seattle Seahawks' Qwest Field, to the development of a live-work community that's designed to stimulate and support Seattle's growing biotech industry.
In relation to Qwest Field, Mr. Allen "asked his executives to try to re-create an atmosphere similar to the one Mr. Allen felt while attending University of Washington football games as a boy."
Sounds similar to those arguments in favour of the new White Caps stadium proposal.
And in regards to Pal Allen's plans for a new residential neighbourhood:
In the South Lake Union area just off downtown, he plans to build 10 million square feet - the rough equivalent of a dozen 50-story towers - of condos, European-style alley-fronted homes, biotech and medical research facilities, hotels and retail space, with a trolley car connecting it all. The projects are ahead of schedule, with the cluster of condos built around a luxury hotel, Pan Pacific, and a Whole Foods store set to open later this year.
This should sound quite familiar to anyone from Vancouver. However, the article goes on to say that, "South Beach in Miami Beach, the pedestrian shopping area in Santa Monica, Calif., and the Pearl District in Portland, Ore., were inspirations."
No doubt, certain elements from Vancouver urban planning were used as well, since concepts such as high density, mixed use and green building principles guided the project's developers. Indeed, as this August 2005 article from the Seattle Weekly indicates, Vancouver has definitely had a large impact on Seattle's own debates over urban planning, with one City Council member going so far as to consult Vancouver's famous planners, Ray Spaxman and Larry Beasley.
On the other side of the debate, Seattle's mayor has admitted that "he liked how development had shaped up in Vancouver, especially that city's emphasis on what the mayor calls "smart growth." "It's a great model for us," he says.
For more on the South Lake Union area development, link here to an article from the Seattle PI.
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