Candidates Respond 2009
AIA Seattle Asks Candidates for Public Office: “What do you think is the most pressing issue in our built environment?”
AIA Seattle is a regional membership organization covering six counties with the majority of our 2,000 members in the King County area. Our mission is to “provide the architecture community with resources and relationships to make a difference through design. We open doors, provide connections, keep our members and the public informed, and demonstrate our commitment to great design as the key ingredient for livable, sustainable places.”
As an organization dedicated to great design both inside and beyond the building envelope, we were interested in knowing what candidates for public office had to say about the “built environment” (as opposed to the natural environment). As such, we asked over 100 candidates around the region the same question:
What do you think is the most pressing issue in our built environment and what do you think the design community can do to make a positive impact on that issue?
We asked candidates to keep their responses to 200 words or less and have only posted the responses of those who have responded. We expect responses to continue to come in as the campaign season progresses. Questions? Contact Stephanie Pure at stephaniep@aiaseattle.org
**Please note that the General Election is Tuesday, November 3. Questions about your registration, change of address or want to register online? Click here.
Mayor of Seattle | King County Executive | King County Council | Seattle City Council | Kirkland City Council | Bellevue City Council | Mayor of Bremerton | Bremerton City Council | Everett City Council | Federal Way City Council | Mayor of Issaquah | Issaquah City Council | Shoreline City Council | Mayor of Kent | Kent City Council | Redmond City Council | Renton City Council
Joe Mallahan
The removal of the Alaska Way Viaduct is a watershed opportunity for Seattle and its cityscape. After the Nisqually earthquake in 2001, Seattle city leaders squandered the chance to bring the city together to address the replacement of the Viaduct quickly. The next Mayor of Seattle has the responsibility to move forward rapidly with the agreed replacement plan, keeping an eye toward staying on time and under budget, and mitigating impacts to businesses and pedestrians.
Removal of the Viaduct, and elimination of six lanes of traffic from our waterfront, is the first step towards Seattle's downtown truly embracing Elliot Bay. As Mayor of Seattle, I will bring together all stakeholders, including our best and brightest urban planning and architectural experts, to begin creating a truly open, public space that celebrates the Puget Sound and gives millions of state residents and visitors the opportunity to build a connection to our salt water ecosystem.
Mike McGinn
We have to realize that our future will not just be an extrapolation of current trends. The world economy and environment are changing dramatically. We must stop spending money on a built environment that is not flexible enough to meet that future. That means it is time to return to walkable, mixed-use communities well served by transit. It means buildings and streets that work with and incorporate nature, rather than attempt to defy it through expensive engineering and energy use. It means that we must own up to this reality and not use our scarce resources on poor investments, such as burying highway 99 on our waterfront. I have found through my work in my neighborhood, the Sierra Club, and Great City, that the design community understands the extraordinary nature of the challenge and the role of the built environment in meeting it. The most important thing that the design community can do is to speak from knowledge and passion. Our city needs people with the courage to confront those who claim that “political reality” dooms us to the same old policies that created our problems. And then we need your talent to help solve those problems.
Dow Constantine
I believe that thoughtful, inspired design can solve a host of problems, just as thoughtlessness in building creates them.
I recently led the fight to protect downtown Seattle’s First United Methodist Church, part of our past that deserves a place in our city. It was to be razed and replaced with a likely nondescript office building. Developer Kevin Daniels came to the rescue of the century-old sanctuary, carefully restoring it while planning a remarkable tower next door to enliven the Seattle skyline. The fight over the church exemplifies the challenge of growth in our region: creativity and vision take more commitment than simply building to the code. Stewardship of a city in our care requires patience and sensitivity. Without these qualities, we are permanently impoverished.
People respond to good design when given it. As Executive, I will strive to make King County a place where excellence in design is welcomed and rewarded.
Susan Hutchison
Government is one of the most significant clients of the architectural and design industry. In times when budgets are strained, governments and private business alike are less likely to invest additional resources in design components that seem artistic or unconventional. While utility is the ultimate goal of good design, the term “built environment” reaffirms that we are not building lifeless cubes for people to work and live within. The environment we create must mirror our values and our priorities. From environmentally sustainable building practices, to low impact and low energy operations, the decisions we make today will follow us decades into the future.
While the King County Executive has little to do with zoning and building standards in the incorporated areas, I will be influential in larger, regional decisions. In the past twelve months, local and state officials made the wise decision to reclaim Seattle’s waterfront by moving forward with the deep bore tunnel option. When similar decisions come before our region’s leaders, I will look long-term, and make the call that benefits future generations as well as our own."
King County Council
Mark Greene, Pos. 9
The most pressing issue is the lack of affordable housing for the masses, as there are too many people whose income, if any, is below par and cannot comfortably or at all make housing or apartment rental payments, or even consider the possibility of a housing mortgage. The built environment community can help solve this problem by focusing on designs for comfortable housing, including the full array of the different types of housing (hotels, apartments, etc.) that would help to start up new building companies that would focus on affordable housing, but also that would enable individuals or families to more easily build their own housing.
Since the cost of housing is all important, the challenge would be for new housing to be architecturally alluring and comfortable, but at the same time cutting costs through innovative technological features.
Richard Conlin, Pos. 2 (incumbent)
Over the next few years, we will have to continue and increase our efforts to create a built environment that enhances community spirit and integration and that realizes the next generation of green building principles – living buildings, that ultimately will be energy and water neutral. We must do this while including the preservation of historic buildings (and conserving the carbon content and embodied energy of their existing fabric), and while developing buildings that are aesthetically pleasing and integrate with the character of their community. At the same time, of course, these buildings must be practical, workable, and economical to construct and maintain.
Seattle’s design community has been a leader in pioneering this approach to a truly sustainable built environment. The next stage will involve integrating the work of the National Historic Preservation Trust and its Seattle office, proposed green building legislation expected to come to the Council shortly, and the interests of the development community with new approaches for design guidelines and design review, and creating a set of principles that will guide future development. A great first step would be to pilot both new and renovated living buildings and test their ability to perform the needed integration.
David Ginsberg, Pos. 2
I think the most pressing issue in our built environment is poor zoning and land use code. We need more flexibility in the code, to give more freedom to and expand the role of architects in the built environment. In recent years developers have increasingly infringed on the role of architects, and I think this is a bad trend. Architecture introduces a humanism into the built environment, traditionally in an aesthetic sense but more and more encompassing community and quality of life issues. I think there is a strong role for the design community here, as we’ve recently seen with the proposed changes to the multi-family code, as “design ambassadors” in this larger, more societal sense of design. In the end we need our built environment to be sustainable, accessible, and conducive to a great quality of life. Developers and city planners aren’t the correct hands to leave these decisions in. City planners should set the guidelines and goals, but give architects greater flexibility in how to achieve those goals. And zoning laws should comport more with our neighborhoods, to make sure that as we add density we don’t lose the character that makes them so livable.
Sally Bagshaw, Pos. 4
My heart wants to cry “Creating Seattle’s Waterfront for All!” is most pressing because I have spent many years with Allied Arts considering this legacy opportunity. In response to your single question, however, I believe we must design affordable homes within our neighborhoods and create beautiful densely-populated spaces as a million more people join us in the next twenty years.
My goal is to build a livable, walkable, sustainable Seattle. Achieving this goal requires integrated effort of neighborhoods, infrastructure engineers and architectural designers. Creating the vision is where our design community shines. The Multi-Family Code is too long and complicated, and the design community should be invited to help rewrite it. The code must be simpler and more flexible. Seattle-ites have gagged as poorly designed “four-packs” or “tall/skinnies” invade our neighborhoods and are built around car-centric expectations. To encourage enjoyable density, we must design the desired end result: enhance designated urban centers and urban villages to support local businesses, invite economic diversity, make effective transportation connections so we are not at the mercy of SOV’s. We should not sacrifice aesthetics for compact, walkable neighborhoods: we can, and deserve both. Let’s revise the code so it works for Seattle.
Jessie Israel, Pos. 6
The most pressing issue facing our City today is one that directly affects the design community - preparing for the over one million person growth expected in our region over the next 20 years. As your Councilmember, I will prioritize building vibrant communities that are sustainable and can accommodate our projected growth while improving our quality of life.
In order to meet the growth demands we must ensure the development of compact, walkable communities in our urban centers and around light rail stations. Urban infill and community oriented design will keep housing affordable, while incorporating elements for livable neighborhoods. Portland’s “Courtyard Housing Competition” is a tremendous example of an innovative approach to incentivizing residential density that fits within a neighborhood’s character while reducing development costs. We must also target City investments in transit, green spaces, and other community oriented infrastructure for areas that are accepting to density.
I am proud to be endorsed by The Alki Foundation, Naitonal Women’s Political Caucus, Washington Conservation Voters, Cascade Bicycle Club , Hon. Bobbe Bridge Ret’d, Hon. Bill Bryant, Hon. Reuven Carlyle, Hon. John Creighton, Hon. Jean Godden, Hon. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, Hon. Liz Loomis, Hon. Marcie Maxwell, Hon. Gael Tarleton and Hon. Scott White.
Nick Licata, Pos. 6 (incumbent)
The most pressing issue that the design community can address is pedestrian & bike safety. Over 400 pedestrians and 250 bicyclists are hit by vehicles every year in Seattle. Road design, including crosswalks and sidewalks, contributes a significant if not the most critical element in determining the amount of crashes that occur.
While the City has adopted the “Complete Streets” design guidelines to allow our streets to be safely shared by vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians, we have a long way to go to apply this design work to our city’s 2,000 miles of streets.. For instance, in 2007 we had only 25 miles of bike lanes; by 2010 we hope to have just over 60 miles, a goal we may not achieve. In the area of pedestrian safety, 40% of our city blocks lack a sidewalk, and over 30% lack sidewalks on both sides of the street.
Painting lines on the road or pouring cement is not sufficient. We need design solutions that encourage people to walk or bike to bus stops and business centers. It requires adequate landscaping, such as planting trees, providing appealing street lighting, curb cuts for the disabled, visible crosswalks and the placement of bus shelters and transit plazas.
Mike O'Brien, Pos. 8
On a systemic level, our built environment should foster environmental sustainability, social equity, and a sense of community. I imagine a Seattle where people live 'green' simply because it is convenient and economical; where neighborhoods can accommodate people of all economic and social backgrounds; and where our buildings and the spaces between them encourage sociability, familiarity, and trust.
The design community has proven that it has the means to contribute to all three of these. With good governance, we can establish a business environment where designers and developers find it profitable to create buildings that reflect our best aspirations and highest values. Through organizations like the AIA, designers can also be effective advocates, enriching the public discourse on urban design with their professional insights."
Robert Rosencrantz, Pos. 8
Creating attractive, livable and sustainable communities in our Urban Villages and Urban Centers is the most pressing issue for our built environment. Curbing sprawl and protecting our rural and resource lands depends upon great design leading to a great in-city living experience.
The design community can play a leading role in achieving elegant and vibrant density as a means by which to create lively places with lots of amenities. In giving people many attractive choices for living an urban lifestyle in sustainable, convenient and enjoyable places, we’ll make critically-needed environmental progress while creating the conditions for social and cultural progress as well.
The design community should proactively create visions for each Urban Village and Urban Center, and then work hand-in-hand with community groups, City Council and City staff to create the legislative and administrative framework to make the visions reality.
Doreen Marchione, Pos. 7
One very important issue that the design community can help us face is the challenge of growing more gracefully while minimizing our impact on nature, particularly in the area of climate change.
We are seeing a resurgence of people wanting to live in cities, in walkable and charming places like downtown Kirkland. This is a positive trend, as it can work to keep our neighborhoods lively and economically vital. As the Puget Sound region continues to draw more residents and employers, however, we could benefit from the skills of design professionals to incorporate both practical and beautiful elements to our changing places.
On climate change, the design community has taken a leadership role in creating buildings that need less energy, and thereby lessen our greenhouse gas emissions. AIA and similar organizations could take a stronger role in promoting neighborhood level design that also lessens energy use and emissions, by making places walkable and dense enough to support transit use, as well as reducing the need for vehicle trips by including things we need in each neighborhood, like stores and jobs. We need to ensure we build real working communities rather than just collections of new buildings.
Bellevue City Council
Pending.
Mayor of Bremerton
Daryl Daugs
I believe that the most pressing issue in our built environment is sustainability. Cities in particular face challenges with maintenance of the infrastructure. Frequently funds are available for capital construction, but tight yearly budgets can impact maintenance of the built environment.
To better address this issue, the design community can endeavor to design and construct facilities and public commons with ease of maintenance in mind.
In relation to housing, our fair city needs to partner with the architectural and design community to develop comprehensive plans for "neighborhood" communities. New development and re-development should be focused on multi-income neighborhoods with an overall approach encouraging attractive and multigenerational interaction.
Sustainability should be a much more holistic approach to design than just evaluating the current building on drafting table. We need to look at the overall flavor of the neighborhood and how the current projects interact with the community and the overall sustainability of the city and the region.
Gregg Wheeler, Pos. 5
I believe the most pressing issue in our built environment is the need to keep improving our design to maximize energy and resource conservation while at the same time maintaining affordability and durability. From my personal experience as a Planning Commissioner for the City of Bremerton, my constituents are most concerned that new structures respect the existing neighborhood design and scale. They are not opposed to more modern looking buildings as long as they can gently blend into the existing surrounding structures. Bremerton does have a design review board and is becoming more interested in sustainable design. Since we are a redeveloping city, we have the chance to incorporate the latest technology in energy efficient and aesthetically pleasing design.
The design community could make a positive impact on this issue by educating the public as to the long term benefits of efficient design both on the environment and their wallet. This will go a long way towards securing the emotional and financial investment required from communities. Working together with organizations such as yours, the City of Bremerton can become a better place to live, work, play, learn, invest and grow.
Everett City Council
Jackie Minchew, Pos. 3
I am neither an architect nor a builder, but these are my thoughts. Any structure that will be occupied by people should employ passive solar design as much as possible. We should take advantage of every opportunity to employ alternative sources for direct and indirect energy uses. Low impact, earth friendly construction methods, employing local materials where possible, are important. Insulate, insulate, insulate.
Federal Way City Council
Linda Kochmar, Pos. 2 (incumbent)
Designing attractive, energy-efficient, sustainable buildings is a challenge in the urban core cities where the Growth Management Act dictates population targets. In the City of Federal Way, a core city of 88,500, we made the decision to build up, not out, in the downtown area to provide for future growth. We changed the Comprehensive Plan to direct the growth in the downtown with building heights of 200'.
AIA could help in our efforts by presenting interesting design ideas of buildings with different facades, including brick and wood, and by showing how buildings can be clustered by using varying heights. We hope to have a pedestrian-friendly downtown that includes pathways, outdoor restaurants, a downtown park, retail, office space, and townhouses as well as condominiums and apartments that are LED certified.
Urban Planning is so important to create the fabric of the community and to provide a place that can become a home.
Pending.
Pending.
Shoreline City Council
Will Hall, Pos. 3
The most pressing issue is the need to build local support for infill development. The design community is uniquely positioned to promote high quality infill using visual examples.
Regionally, we cannot afford to let all our growth occur in rural areas. The financial cost of roads, the environmental impact of long commutes, and the quality of life impact of sitting in traffic would be too much. We need to create more livable, walkable, sustainable communities close to our urban core, where they can be served efficiently by transit and other infrastructure.
At the same time, current residents will not support development that destroys the character of their neighborhood. Designers, architects, and planners have proven that with good design, higher density infill can complement existing neighborhoods, but many people still see it as a threat.
As a professional planner, I can articulate the benefits of compact development. But the design community has the tools we need to illustrate how infill can be compatible with – and even enhance – neighborhood character. It is critical that we work together to build support for quality infill so that the community can get behind our efforts to improve our quality of life as our region grows.
Shari Tracey, Pos. 5
In Shoreline the built environment in our neighborhoods needs to mesh with the neighborhood quality and characteristics that the residents value. We have an issue with the infill that has been dominating the new “built environments” in some of our neighborhoods. One of my goals is to have a balanced built environment. The appropriateness of replacing one home with 5 and leaving no significant trees or anything interesting or sustainable must be scrutinized. Likewise, removing an older modestly sized house and building a house that extends as far toward the lot lines as allowed, again leaving very little in the way of the previously existing natural environment/habitat is not appropriate, and often has a negative effect on the environment.. High quality materials must be used and buildings need to be designed and built by professionals. It is important that our communities are built to last - high quality, functionally designed, with an appropriate footprint for the landscape. This type of building is more sustainable, more environmentally friendly, and better for the people using the space. Also, we must not overlook the importance of learning to incorporate energy independence into our built environment (geothermal, solar, wind).
Mayor of Kent
Jim Berrios
I think the most pressing issue in our built environment is continuing to find innovative, cost effective, and attractive ways to make new development more sustainable.
I was Vice President of the Kent school board when we approved the design and construction of a new elementary school in Kent, Panther Lake Elementary. The firm that designed the new school, BLRB Architects of Tacoma, leveraged resources like natural sunlight, storm water, and ground source heating to create a space that’s efficient, engaging, and cost-effective.
Innovative designers can make improved efficiency feel like a luxury rather than a sacrifice. That kind of innovation will be critical as we deal with issues like increasing housing density and building more walkable communities.
Kent City Council
Dennis R. Higgins, Pos. 4
The most pressing issue in our suburban built environment is how to make higher-density residential development more attractive to a broad mix of home-buyers and to pre-existing residents and property-owners.
The City of Kent has appropriately designated certain areas of the city, most notably its downtown core, for high density mixed-use development.
Most recently, a six-story mixed-use building has been proposed on the edge of the downtown core. Many neighbors have concerns about the size of the proposed building, though it is within allowed limits.
The challenge will be for the city to create and adhere to reasonable design standards that create an attractive development that people want to live in, while addressing the concerns of neighbors as the density increases. An investment in excellent design is essential to achieve these goals.
Redmond City Council
Kimberly Allen Pos. 4
In Redmond, we have taken the mandates of growth management seriously and have designated 2 urban centers here. Our Comprehensive Plan focuses our new growth in these areas. The most pressing issue in our built environment is how to “package” the greater density while retaining community character, open space and appropriate scale. We have envisioned a more human scale in our historic downtown, while embracing a larger building envelope profile in Overlake. Integrating new density successfully into these diverse environments requires building places that fit and feel right: the design community is key to that mission.
In Redmond right now, we are starting a multi-year zoning code rewrite and the design community has an important place at the table. We know we must grow but we want to choose what that will look like. We also want our built environment to advance our goals for environmental sustainability and affordable housing. The design community can tell us what they need to deliver creative solutions and help us define the strategy to deliver our vision. I believe it is a partnership with much to offer.
Renton City Council
Rich Zwicker, Pos. 2 (incumbent)
I think the most pressing issue facing the design community is creating design standards that will significantly reduce or eliminate the need for fossil fuels. I think that it is important that design strategies are created that create on-site renewable power and allow for increased energy efficiencies. I believe that as the design community continues to focus on these important initiatives we will be able to integrate new ideas and designs into many projects throughout the spectrum, including public projects. I fully expect that groups such as AIA Seattle will be in the forefront of these issues and I will continue and support your efforts. I look forward to the continued partnership between AIA Seattle, and other design professionals, and the City of Renton as we all continue to be, as we say in Renton, Ahead of the Curve, in these important initiatives.
