The 2010 Public Spaces Public Life interdisciplinary studio explored the future of Seattle’s Waterfront. With the decision to remove the aging Alaskan Way Viaduct and replace the Elliott Bay Seawall, Seattle has had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reclaim its downtown waterfront, reconnect the city to Elliott Bay, and set an example for the sustainable development of the rapidly-urbanizing Puget Sound shoreline. This has given us the opportunity to create a new “heart” for our city – a dynamic and forward-looking public space accessible and attractive to people from all walks of life that can connect both the physical and the cultural fabric of our city to Elliot Bay. With this project Seattle has the opportunity to create a public place where the urban and natural world mix, where we can celebrate the connection of land and water, and where we can offer a beautiful, sustainable, and democratic front yard for a city that has long lacked a central park.