How storytelling can engage the University District

community
Megan Herzog
Janice Wang

Ive found that more than

anything, people are inherently
kind, engaged and open. I'm lucky
to live in a neighborhood where
people value social change and
embrace difference. The Ave is a
special place to me, full of history,
characters and stories to tell.

From Solstice cafe to Half Price

Books to Neptune Theatre, the U
District harbors many gems where
cultures meet, clash, and merge.
Old buildings, new storefronts,
familiar faces, or fresh newcomers
- you never know what to expect
with University District.

LACK OF
SOCIAL CAPITAL
PLACE ATTACHMENT

WHY

HOW

WHAT

DESIGN
&
EXPERIMENTATION

WHY

HOW

WHAT

SIDEWALK
URBAN
INTERVENTION

WHY

HOW

WHAT

MISSION STATEMENT
Our aim is to actively engage the University District community by presenting our shared history
on a public timeline and inviting all passersby to share their story on an interactive website.

PHYSICAL PLATFORM

Timeline on the facade of the U Book Store

on the Ave between 45th and 43rd St

VIRTUAL PLATFORM

www.storytimeline.me

1909 WORLDS FAIR

PHYSICAL PLATFORM

VIRTUAL PLATFORM

CONTEXT
RESEARCH

History of the University District

LIT REVIEW

Social Capital
Place Attachment
Public Art

1938 SHOWBOAT THEATRE

SOCIAL CAPITAL
The most powerful ingredient for happiness is having a strong
and positive social connection. (Montgomery)

1938 SHOWBOAT THEATRE

PLACE ATTACHMENT
Place attachment plays a role in fostering individual, group,
and cultural self-esteem, self-worth, and self-pride. (Low and
Altman)
1938 SHOWBOAT THEATRE

PUBLIC ART INTERVENTION

Public art humanizes the built environment and invigorates
public spaces. (American for the Arts)

1938 SHOWBOAT THEATRE

History is on the wall, but only those willing to look up from

newspaper or laptop computer glimpse it and ponder. (Stilgoe)

1938 SHOWBOAT THEATRE

METHODS

1. P R E P A R E
2. U N V E I L
3. O U T R E A C H
4. O B S E R V E
5. R E C O R D
6. A S S E S S

1960 CARNIVAL ON 50TH ST

METHODS

1. P R E P A R E

2. U N V E I L
3. O U T R E A C H
4. O B S E R V E
5. R E C O R D
6. A S S E S S

1960 CARNIVAL ON 50TH ST

METHODS

1. P R E P A R E
2. U N V E I L

3. O U T R E A C H
4. O B S E R V E
5. R E C O R D
6. A S S E S S

1960 CARNIVAL ON 50TH ST

METHODS

1. P R E P A R E
2. U N V E I L
3. O U T R E A C H

4. O B S E R V E
5. R E C O R D
6. A S S E S S

1960 CARNIVAL ON 50TH ST

METHODS

1. P R E P A R E
2. U N V E I L
3. O U T R E A C H
4. O B S E R V E

5. R E C O R D
6. A S S E S S

1960 CARNIVAL ON 50TH ST

METHODS

1. P R E P A R E
2. U N V E I L
3. O U T R E A C H
4. O B S E R V E
5. R E C O R D

6. A S S E S S
1960 CARNIVAL ON 50TH ST

3. O U T R E A C H

3. O U T R E A C H

4. O B S E R V E

~2

months of loose observations

10

hours of focused observations

320~350

people/hr on average

56~108

people/hr in the pouring rain

102~262

people/hr during early/late hours

400+

people/hr during busy hours

5. R E C O R D

5. R E C O R D

5. R E C O R D

50. S T O R I E S T O T A L
24. O N L I N E S U B M I S S I O N S
26. I N - P E R S O N I N T E R V I E W S
32. P U B L I S H E D S T O R I E S
1980 NIRVANA CONCERT

5. R E C O R D

50. S T O R I E S T O T A L

24. O N L I N E S U B M I S S I O N S
26. I N - P E R S O N I N T E R V I E W S
32. P U B L I S H E D S T O R I E S

1980 NIRVANA CONCERT

5. R E C O R D

50. S T O R I E S T O T A L
24. O N L I N E S U B M I S S I O N S

26. I N - P E R S O N I N T E R V I E W S
32. P U B L I S H E D S T O R I E S
1980 NIRVANA CONCERT

5. R E C O R D

50. S T O R I E S T O T A L
24. O N L I N E S U B M I S S I O N S
26. I N - P E R S O N I N T E R V I E W S

32. P U B L I S H E D S T O R I E S
1980 NIRVANA CONCERT

5. R E C O R D

Gould Hall

Burke Gilman Trail

Varsity Theatre

Drumheller Fountain

Allegro Cafe

The Quad

Solstice Cafe

Red Square

Trader Joes

The Ave

Rams Copy Center

Greek Row

Morsel

Saturday Farmers Market

Neptune Theatre

University Village

Henry Art Gallery

Street Fair

Red Light

Ravenna/Cowen Park

U Book Store

I-5

Magus Bookstore

Congregational Church

U Heights Elementary School

Husky Stadium

The whole Ave, from

Ravenna/Cowen Park all the way
to the Last Exit on Brooklyn was a
magical place for a youngster just
stretching her wings. If the
telephone poles could talk, what
stories they would have to tell."

"I have been selling flowers in the

farmer's market since 1994."
"What do you think has changed
the most since then?"
"The rules."

"My favorite thing is to bike my

boys to school in the U District.
He has a fan club that cheers him
on when biking down, the kids
would always yell Go, Dad, go!

"My girlfriend and I had our first

kiss in front of here. Now its on
replay in front of Henry Art
Gallery.

ASSESSMENT
LIMITS

Time conflict
Feasibility of social observation
Social media audience
Difficult to measure tangible impact

1971 CAMPUS PROTEST

ASSESSMENT
LIMITS

Time conflict
Feasibility of social observation
Social media audience
Difficult to measure tangible impact

1971 CAMPUS PROTEST

ASSESSMENT
NEXT STEPS

Continue collecting stories

U District Partnership
Seattle Office of Arts & Culture
How-to-Storytimeline

1971 CAMPUS PROTEST

APPENDICES

REFERENCES
Altman, Irwin, and Setha M. Low. Place Attachment. New York: Plenum, 1992. Print.
Arts, Americans For The. PUBLIC ART NETWORK COUNCIL: GREEN PAPER (n.d.): n. pag. Web.
Beinhocker, Eric D. The Origin of Wealth: Evolution, Complexity, and the Radical Remaking of Economics. Boston, MA: Harvard
Business School, 2006. Print.
Brian W. Eisenhauer, Richard S. Krannich and Dale J. Blahna. "Attachments to Special Places on Public Lands: An Analysis of
Activities, Reason for Attachments, and Community Connections." Society & Natural Resources 13.5 (2000): 421-41. Web.
Gehl, Jan. Life between Buildings Using Public Space. Washington, DC: Island, 2011. Print.
Jacobs, Allan B. Great Streets. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 1993. Print.
Jacobs, Jane. The Death and Life of Great American Cities. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
Montgomery, Charles. Happy City. Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 2011. Print.
Putnam, Robert D. Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000. Print.
Stilgoe, John R. Outside Lies Magic: Regaining History and Awareness in Everyday Places. New York: Walker, 1998. Print.
Tuan, Yi-fu. Space and Place: The Perspective of Experience. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota, 1977. Print.
Whyte, William Hollingsworth. The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces. Washington, D.C.: Conservation Foundation, 1980. Print.

1971 CAMPUS PROTEST