Public participation can take many forms, and can
significantly influence the outcomes of ecological design efforts. This case
presentation will describe three recent examples from the Seattle urban
context, where public participation has historically been perceived by many
participants and observers to be significant in urban planning. The first case
examines the role of public participation in stream restoration efforts within
the city, particularly in the case of a formal stakeholder process employed recently
for a section of Thornton Creek. This is Seattle's largest creek watershed,
supporting populations of cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki clarki), Chinook
salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawtscha), and
coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). The second case describes the role of
public input in developing proposals for a new downtown waterfront, where an
elevated highway was damaged in the 2000 earthquake and a seawall needs
replacement. This waterfront is part of the nearshore marine habitat for
juvenile Chinook salmon that have been listed as Threatened under the Federal
Endangered Species Act (Oncorhynchus tshawtscha). The
final case describes the role of participation in developing plans for a
transit line along the west side of Seattle that was intended to provide a
less-polluting mobility option for Seattle residents, with consequences for air
and water quality. Lessons are
drawn from a comparison of these cases to inform the theory and practice of
urban ecological design.