Green Futures Lab

See links below for PDF downloads of our publications. For more information on each project, please see the project page.

Green Stormwater Infrastructure Toolbox

A collection of green stormwater infrastructure graphics created for the City of Seattle.

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Porous Public Space

How can design help us to regard stormwater as a resource rather than waste? How can the celebration of water bring people together in public space?

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Urban Play Handbook

The Urban Play Handbook was conceived to assist and inspire the urban designer, civic leader and citizen activist to invent playful places and to integrate opportunities for interactive play into the public spaces of our cities.

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Adaptive Streets: Strategies for Transforming the Urban Right-Of-Way

Adaptive Streets is an illustrated handbook to inspire and guide citizens, planners and officials to re-imagine how our streets can be adapted to increase utility and delight as well as enhance human and environmental health.

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Shifting Gears: Lessons from Copenhagen to Encourage Bicycling in the US

A document produced with the hope of propelling cities to provide the infrastructure and programs that invite people to use bicycles to travel.

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Public Spaces | Public Life: Inviting Urban Play, 2013

The focus of the 2013 ScanlDesign Interdisciplinary Master Studio was to imagine and propose a University District that is shaped by invitations for people of all ages to engage in physical, cultural, and intellectual play.

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Burlington at the Crossroads: Final Recommendations

A Green Futures Lab team proposed actions to transform Burlington, WA into a more economically robust, socially and culturally responsive, and environmentally healthy city.

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Floating Wetlands Design Investigations, Vol. II

This design volume documents the design process in the ten week seminar, and highlights new floating wetland design ideas for the Lower Stensland Creek Wetland and South Park Bridge Duwamish River sites.

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Floating Wetlands Research, Vol. I

This research volume is a window into a larger body of case studies and literature on floating wetland systems, aimed to inform designers, decision-makers and the general public on the breadth of interest in floating wetlands worldwide.

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Map Ping Invitations

A project exploring invitations to linger within urban public space.

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Public Spaces | Public Life for the University District, 2012

This studio focused on imagining an active, creative, high-performance “West of 15th” district, proposing design solutions for sites within the district with the goal of contributing to a high-functioning, just, and ecologically healthy city.

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Seattle’s Neighborhood Greenways

This booklet is meant to serve as a guide for citizens who want to imagine and promote Neighborhood Greenways in Seattle, to inspire as well as provide them with practical tools.

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Edmonds ReVISIONING | Westgate: A District Plan and Form-Based Code

The Green Futures Lab worked with the City of Edmonds to envision the future of the neighborhood commercial center at Westgate.

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Edmonds ReVISIONING | Five Corners & Westgate: Edmonds Special District Plan

A presentation on the Edmonds ReVISIONING project given at the 2012 APA conference.

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Stormwater Web Portal: Feasibility Study

This report was generated to assess the feasibility of a potential web-based resource which would provide information on green stormwater management.

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Waterfront Stormwater Solutions | Prototypes: Town of Coupeville

A pilot Project at the Town of Coupeville is planned to test the capacity for subsurface wetlands to improve water quality along waterfronts.

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Waterfront Stormwater Solutions | Context: Puget Sound Waterfront Landscapes

A document exploring the particular context of the Puget Sound as it relates to Waterfront Stormwater Solutions.

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Waterfront Stormwater Solutions | Resources

A collection of waterfront stormwater treatment resources.

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Public Spaces | Public Life for Seattle’s Central Waterfront, 2011

This studio's focus was to envision an active, vibrant and multi-dimensional central waterfront that reclaims the waterfront as an ecological space, both aquatic and terrestrial.

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Waterfront Stormwater Solutions | Stormwater Components and Design Toolbox

A Waterfront Stormwater Solutions design toolbox examining waterfront typologies, stormwater storage and reuse methods, and soil characteristics.

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Waterfront Stormwater Solutions | Waterfront Stormwater Case Studies

A collection of case studies of waterfront stormwater treatment sites.

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Neighborhoods for People

This document is meant to inspire, motivate, and educate. When you look at neighborhoods, we encourage you to think of human life first. Then, consider the arrangement of spaces needed to support the life and activities you envision.

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Public Spaces | Public Life for North Rainier Town Center, 2010

Students worked in interdisciplinary teams on overall district plans for the Mount Baker neighborhood, aiming to create a robust, pedestrian-oriented business, civic and residential district.

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Public Spaces | Public Life for Seattle’s Central Waterfront, 2010

This studio's focus was to envision an active, vibrant and multi-dimensional central waterfront that reclaims the waterfront as an ecological space, both aquatic and terrestrial.

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Activating Alleys for a Lively City

This guidebook is meant to assist individuals and institutions in their efforts to transform Seattle’s alleys, to inspire as well as provide some practical tools.

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Green Roofs in Seattle: A Survey of Vegetated Roofs and Rooftop Gardens

An inventory on green roofs located within the City Limits of Seattle created to develop a context for the further development of green roofs in Seattle and elsewhere.

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Downtown Seattle 2009: Public Spaces & Public Life

This document offers an introduction to a new way of recording and understanding the importance of public life in an urban context.

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Public Spaces | Public Life for Seattle’s South Downtown, 2008

The design studio focused on five study areas at different scales in the south downtown area of Seattle, suggesting new ideas and possibilities that aim to cultivate “life between buildings."

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Lake Forest Park: The Legacy 100-Year Vision

This vision for the City of Lake Forest Park proposes a regenerative framework that will create a healthy, vital city, while enhancing cultural and natural environments and maximizing the city’s long-term sustainability.

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Re-Imagining Seattle Streets

Planting strips and street edge treatments for urban green infrastructure

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Open Space Financing in Seattle

A closer look at the effects of open space on property values, city revenues and housing affordability.

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Open Space Seattle 2100 | Executive Summary: Envisioning Seattle’s Green Future

The executive summary of the Open Space Seattle 2100 publication: Envisioning Seattle's Green Future.

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Open Space Seattle 2100 | Envisioning Seattle’s Green Future

This planning endeavor enlisted the talents and skills of over 300 people, who generously invested two days to consider Seattle’s green future.

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Equitable Public Space Download
Green Stormwater Infrastructure Toolbox Download
Porous Public Space Download
Urban Play Handbook Download
Adaptive Streets: Strategies for Transforming the Urban Right-of-Way Download
Shifting Gears: Lessons from Copenhagen to Encourage Bicycling in the US Download
Public Spaces | Public Life: Inviting Urban Play Download
Burlington at the Crossroads: Final Recommendations Download
Floating Wetlands Research, Vol. I Download
Floating Wetlands Design Investigations, Vol. II Download
Map Ping Invitations Download
Public Spaces | Public Life for the University District, 2012 Download
Seattle’s Neighborhood Greenways Download
Edmonds ReVisioning | Westgate: A District Plan and Form-Based Code Download
Edmonds ReVisioning | Five Corners & Westgate: Edmonds Special District Plan Download
Stormwater Web Portal: Feasibility Study Download
Waterfront Stormwater Solutions | Prototypes: Town of Coupeville Download
Waterfront Stormwater Solutions | Context: Puget Sound Waterfront Landscapes Download
Waterfront Stormwater Solutions | Resources Download
Waterfront Stormwater Solutions | Stormwater Components and Design Toolbox Download
Waterfront Stormwater Solutions | Waterfront Stormwater Case Studies Download
Public Spaces | Public Life for Seattle’s Central Waterfront, 2011 Download
Neighborhoods for People Download
Public Spaces | Public Life for North Rainier Town Center, 2010 Download
Public Spaces | Public Life for Seattle’s Central Waterfront, 2010 Download
Woodinville Vision 2035 Vol. 1: Background Report and Advisory Committee Listening Session Download
Activating Alleys for a Lively City Download
Green Roofs in Seattle: A Survey of Vegetated Roofs and Rooftop Gardens Download
Downtown Seattle 2009: Public Spaces & Public Life Download
Public Spaces | Public Life for Seattle’s South Downtown, 2008 Download
Lake Forest Park: The Legacy 100-Year Vision Download
Re-Imagining Seattle Streets Download
Open Space Financing in Seattle Download
Open Space Seattle 2100 | Executive Summary: Envisioning Seattle’s Green Future Download
Open Space Seattle 2100 | Envisioning Seattle’s Green Future Download