COMMUNITIES
Bremerton, Washington is the host city for the UWR Conference and knows what it takes to revitalize a waterfront, and consequently, a community. Bremerton has shaken off its old reputation of "Bummertown," and it is quickly realizing Mayor Bozeman's future vision of recently called "Boomertown": "Bremerton will become a vibrant urban community where people work, live, shop and have access to a diversity of art, music, food, community activities and waterfront parks."
How can communities continue to evolve and thrive?
Sausalito, California is a charming waterfront artist community that lies across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco and is the premier destination for visitors to the Bay Area. Sausalito is now in the business visioning process to honor its past of a working waterfront and to keep it moving towards the future.
How do you work with the public to redefine and revitalizeyour community?
Sidney, British Columbia is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Sidney used to be thought of as "small and boring" and the town you drove through to get to Victoria. Sidney created a visioning process with the public to redefine itself into a new community for tourists and residents alike.
How do you market your waterfront and be a destination?
Annapolis, Maryland is noted as "America's Sailing Capital," and is a very popular port of call for sailors from all over the world. An annual Maritime Heritage festival is held on the City Dock to celebrate this aspect of the Annapolis lifestyle. In the fall, the largest in the water boat shows are held on successive weekends for sail and power enthusiasts respectively.
How do you work with the public and private sector in an orchestrated manner to achieve results?
Olympia, Washington has redefined itself several times and has undergone much change throughout its history. It was once the hub of maritime commerce and the center of lumber processing. Today it can boast being #8 on Forbes Magazine 2008 list of Best Places for Business and Careers, and #16 on Sperling's 2007 ranking of Best United States Cities. In order to stay at the top of these lists, Olympia is working with public and private entities to expand and redevelop its waterfront.
How do you deal with and balance growth, infrastructure needs, land use and other pressures?
Wenatchee, Washington is situated at the confluence of the Wenatchee and Columbia Rivers is the second largest city in central Washington. In 2003, the City of Wenatchee and the Chelan County Public Utility District developed a long range plan to address goals and objectives for future waterfront development. The process took into consideration amongst many other things that growth projections for the next 20 years which suggest Wenatchee's population will increase by over 50 percent
What role does transportation planning have in determining the social enjoyment, economic vitality and environmental impacts of our waterfront developments?
Since 1977 and the introduction of the SeaBus, North Vancouver, British Columbia harnessed the power of an efficient transit system to anchor and connect its waterfront revitalization projects. Using water taxis, bike and foot trails, the Harbour Walk, a trolley and a comprehensive parking plan, the City of North Vancouver is not only linking its waterfront but its city. In 2007, it was awarded a "Green City Award" as the most sustainable community of its size in British Columbia.
What are the roadblocks and opportunities in Brownfield Redevelopment?
The Thea Foss Waterway (www.theafoss.com) in Tacoma is a 1.5-mile inlet off Commencement Bay that runs along the downtown's shoreline. More than 100 years ago, the waterway was an industrial area with numerous mills and marine activities and the terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The western side of the waterway gradually began to lose its traditional tenants, leaving a legacy of vacant buildings and contaminated properties. In 1981, EPA named three polluted "hot spots" in the waterway as part of a Superfund site; it was one of the most polluted waterways in the nation. Today, following a $105 million cleanup project, the Foss is once again a vibrant place of business and is among 10 projects nationwide to receive the 2007 Phoenix Award. Created in 1997, the Phoenix Awards honor individuals and groups working to solve the critical environmental issue of transforming abandoned industrial areas into productive new uses.
