This tour examines key ingredients for urban revitalization and discusses the urban design and architectural strategies at work in the vibrant, rapidly growing South Lake Union neighborhood. The tour will look at the commercial growth of the neighborhood, from Amazon’s historic lease agreement to today’s downtown-like expansion of residential and hospitality development. From the Denny Triangle to the shoreline of the “Little Lake” this tour shares the history of the neighborhood, explores commercial and institutional projects illustrating design adaptation in the last 15 years, and asks participants to consider what is the right mixture for successful revitalization of an urban neighborhood. The tour includes Amazon’s SLU Campus, South Lake Union Park, UW Medicine, and the new Google & Facebook SLU Campuses.

This tour begins at the Triangle Park across from Whole Foods. Cross streets: Westlake, Denny and 9th.

Please note: For tours happening in Winter 2023-2024, a minimum of three people must be registered for tours to take place. Tours with fewer than three registered attendees on the Thursday before the tour will be cancelled. If you purchased a ticket for a cancelled tour, you have the option of transferring the ticket to a future tour date or being issued a refund.

Photos by Alice Hammond