The highways that most cities built in the 1960s were both a response to and a cause for
urban sprawl. The I-5 freeway has been a part of Seattle for about 50 years. This thesis examines the effects of the freeway on urban form and neighborhoods, analyses the proposed urban renewal plans of stakeholders, and suggests new infrastructural interventions in Seattle.
Urban design and socio-cultural theories were chosen for the analysis of the multiple
layers of the urban landscape and for the design interventions. The research questions frame the urban design and socio-cultural perspectives on the freeway and adjacent neighborhoods. The Geodesign Framework was used as a method to answer the research questions.
The strategies developed in this thesis reflect the need for cities to invest in holistic and
heterogeneous transit systems, replace the urban freeway with appropriately wide boulevards, and return the land parcels occupied by the freeway to the urban grid.
