The end of the world as we know it and Cap Hill feels fine

As president of Capitol Hill's community council, I get asked to do some strange things. It's a body with no formal connection to the city's elected officials or official city resources. We are grassroots. We do stuff like try to get parks built. And sometimes we get asked to talk about it.

A few weeks back, I was asked to participate in this Friday's CityClub discussion: Tough Times in the Livable City. The set-up, it seems, is that because we 'suddenly' find ourselves in difficult economic times, the city is changing its definition of livability.

The problem with the premise is that it does not seem to be what is happening here on Capitol Hill. Instead, we are seeing many of the values of livability pursued, and, to drive the point home, being built.

Despite the grip of the economic downturn, the development of the following public projects are now being discussed, planned and/or executed on Seattle’s Capitol Hill:
•    A light rail station with retail development and dedicated community space
•    A streetcar
•    Two city parks
•    A pedestrian plaza along Pike above Broadway. Well, we're thinking about it, at least.
Is this the last gasp of the old economy? Recognition of the importance in investing in the city’s core livability? Luck?

Meanwhile, the same problems of livability that have plagued the Hill also don't seem to be getting any better -- in a name, affordable housing. Despite a worldwide economic collapse, our values and our problems are very much intact here on Capitol Hill. Maybe that says more about the institutions that are crumbling than it does about these neighborhoods.

So, I'm not sure what I'll have to say on Friday will be very interesting. That would be in keeping with my experience working with the community council. The only thing truly dramatic about the council is what kinds of crazy things somebody might do in one of our monthly public meetings. The rest is simply trying to get a few things done. I'll try to explain that on Friday. Hopefully, I don't bore you.

Here's the data on Friday's forum:

Environment & Sustainability Series:
Tough Times in the Livable City
Rainier Square, 3rd Floor Atrium • 1333 Fifth Avenue, Seattle
Buffet lunch • Registration:  11:30 a.m. • Program: 12:00 – 1:30 p.m.
$20/CityClub Members • $25/Guests and co-presenters • $30/General public

Featuring:

	Justin Carder, President, Capitol Hill Community Council		Michael McGinn, Executive Director, Seattle Great City Initiative
	Denny Onslow, Executive Vice President / Chief Development Officer Harbor Properties Inc.		Michael Patten, Executive Director, New Century Theatre Company
	Tony To, Executive Director, HomeSight of Washington		Moderator: Knute Berger, Columnist, CrossCut

Ideas of what makes a livable city are never universal. And now, with the weakened economy, these contrasting ideas are set against a new, more austere backdrop. What’s ahead? Will we be seeing more population density in the urban core, and will it come from new construction, or because families are forced to double up? What of the suburbs? Will they become a no-man’s land of foreclosures? Or will they be stronger magnets for families seeking better services and schools than can be delivered in revenue-pinched cities? Should artists and environmental advocates see threat or opportunity in a cooling economy? Join us as we explore what the downturn means for diverse concepts of livability and sustainability, and how we can best use the present moment to prepare for a positive future.