High Point                                             

The award-winning High Point redevelopment, a Seattle Housing Authority project in West Seattle, replaces World War II era public housing with a new mixed-income community of 1600 homes that has become a model for urban sustainable development and natural drainage systems.

Nakano Associates, as the primary landscape architect on a multidisciplinary team, participated in site analysis, master planning, open space and streetscape planning, landscape development standards, and tree preservation. Landscape design included low-allergen, sustainable landscape design for the extensive park system and for the public housing as part of the Healthy Homes Initiative.

Planning efforts resulted in a new street grid, pedestrian friendly sidewalks, a park and trail system of 21 acres, and streetside landscaping that integrates High Point with surrounding neighborhoods. A new medical clinic, library, neighborhood center with daycare and youth facilities, and retail shops add vitality to the neighborhood.

The open space system is comprised of a variety of usable spaces that include a central community commons park, a stormwater park surrounding a 1.2 acre pond, three half-acre neighborhood parks, several community gardens, and fifteen small pocket parks close to homes. Park amenities include active play areas, communal gathering spaces, quiet green spaces, plenty of seating, and flexible designs to encourage community-generated features and artwork within the parks. Themes of creative stormwater management, environmentally sensitive design, and encouragement of community interaction are integral to the design of all the park spaces.