Seattle’s waterfront has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past six years. In 2019, runners and walkers participated in a race that concluded on the Alaskan Way Viaduct, just months before its demolition. Joy Shigaki, CEO of Friends of Waterfront Park, recalls the event fondly, stating, “Many people remember how beautiful it was to participate in that final race, marking a historic moment for our city as we embarked on the next-generation project known as Waterfront Park.”
Fast forward to this year, and Friends of Waterfront Park, in collaboration with Seattle-based Brooks Running, is hosting another race: the Meet Me at Waterfront Park 5k, scheduled for Saturday, May 31. This event will celebrate the park’s first full summer opening to the public.
The park, located at the edge of downtown Seattle, stretches from the Olympic Sculpture Park along Elliott Bay to the ferry terminal. It features a new overlook walk that connects to Pike Place Market, as well as protected bike lanes, a spacious promenade for pedestrians, and newly developed parks on Piers 57 and 62.
Shigaki, who recently returned to Seattle after living elsewhere, met with me on the waterfront to discuss her role in the project. Friends of Waterfront Park, the non-profit organization she leads, is both fundraising for and managing the park. Upon her return in the fall of 2022, Shigaki recognized the park’s significance in the ongoing transformation of downtown Seattle.
“It felt a bit audacious to claim the park was part of that transformation,” she noted. “But what I see now is the integration taking place, with locals returning and people coming from all surrounding areas. This space is truly transforming, and we are becoming a world-class city by having a world-class urban park. The vision initiated back in 2009 was to create a tunnel that would allow for this extraordinary 20-acre park to emerge where the viaduct once stood.”
The design of the park was heavily influenced by community feedback, prioritizing transportation alternatives such as biking, while ensuring that wheeled vehicles remain separate from the promenade, allowing visitors to enjoy a scenic one-mile walk. The intention was always to accommodate a large number of visitors, prompting thoughtful design choices that invite active engagement from the community.
