Episode 3

The Process

Published on: 7th March, 2025

The game is afoot!

The first several years following the Nisqually Earthquake witnessed "the winding and cranking of the system through the city, and the state and the federal government, [and] the stakeholders" to come up with a new vision for the Seattle waterfront.

In this episode, we introduce some of the key players in the system and listen as 76 potential replacement options for the viaduct are ground down to a final five while the first Draft Environmental Impact Statement heats things up. 

This series is hosted by Dominic Black and Kiku Hughes and features guests Ron Paananen, Greg Nickels, Grace Crunican, Jennifer Ott, Cary Moon, and Bob Donegan

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About the Podcast

An 8-Year-Long Emergency
Seattle, an Earthquake, and a Doomed Waterfront Highway
Why was the replacement of the Alaskan Way viaduct an eight-year-long emergency? Because everyone - from governors to stakeholders to community groups - cares deeply about the Seattle central waterfront.

An 8-Year-Long Emergency: Seattle, an Earthquake, and a Doomed Waterfront Highway is an exploration of the complicated story behind the replacement of the viaduct following the 2001 Nisqually earthquake. Featuring interviews and engaging discussions with historians, politicians, transportation planners, and community organizers, each episode is set against the backdrop of the waterfront's history.

As the podcast reveals, "Even though it’s changed dramatically over time, repeatedly, you can still see traces and touch points of the past wherever you go on the Waterfront," reminding us that the past is always present in the landscape.

About your host

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Kiku Hughes