Urban Waterfronts
Urban Waterfronts in Puget Sound
Urban waterfront areas pose special challenges in terms of restoring critical habitat and water quality as well as preventing further damage. Urban bays, such as those found in Seattle, Tacoma, Bremerton, Everett, Olympia, and Bellingham, have changed dramatically over the past 100 years. Urban centers were developed in these locations because they were flat areas that are part of major estuaries. These estuaries are the center piece of the Puget Sound ecosystem providing vital nursery areas for important species that help make up the bottom of the food web.
Cities in Puget Sound are redeveloping their waterfronts in the belief that waterfronts are no longer a neglected industrialized ghetto but can be a significant community asset. New waterfronts will bring residents as well as tourists, housing, and other economic benefits. Redevelopment and cleanup of urban bays improves habitat and water quality in these heavily damaged waters.
Habitat restoration on major urban rivers of Puget Sound, such as the Duwamish in Seattle, is paying rewards, as salmon take advantage of new places to rest, feed and hide, and city residents reconnect with nature. Herons and eagles still call this place home. And as we clean up the contaminated sediments in our urban bays and crack down on pollution, all the Sound's creatures--including people--benefit. People For Puget Sound is getting involved in many of these redevelopments because these redeveloping areas represent a terrific opportunity to provide habitat as well as to educate and reconnect people to the water.
When we built our Puget Sound cities the first time around, we destroyed shorelines and wetlands of Puget Sound. Now we know better. We have a chance to rebuild the nearshore consciously, restoring clean water and Puget Sound's amazing ecosystem, and reap new economic and cultural opportunities for the region.
People For Puget Sound is involved in waterfront issues in:
- Seattle – viaduct and seawall replacement process
- Bellingham – former Georgia Pacific site cleanup and redevelopment
- Olympia – Budd Inlet
- Port Angeles- former Rayonier site cleanup
For more information
Heather Trim, Policy Director (206) 456-3809
To get involved
Rein Attemann, Advocacy Manager (206) 456-3810
