by Scott Schaefer

Late Thursday afternoon (July 2nd), renowned German urban planner Thomas Sieverts walked around Burien on a perfect summer day in an effort to study its unique “Zwischenstadt.”

The term “Zwischenstadt” has become popularized to mean an “in–between city,” or the city between the old historical centers and open countryside, which is how he views Burien. Sieverts previously taught urban planning at the University of Visual Arts in Berlin and the Technical University in Darmstadt.

Sieverts was on a three-day visit to the Seattle area, which included a town hall meeting Wednesday night, and an appearance on KUOW’s Weekday. In addition to Mayor Joan McGilton and Councilmember Gordon Shaw, he was followed around by a four-camera film crew, which is producing a documentary on Burien that will be released later in the summer.

After several different groups did walking tours that began at the Burien Interim Art Space, the entire crowd re-grouped for a lively discussion lead by author Matthew Stadler, along with B-Town Blog Publisher Scott Schaefer and Sieverts himself.

Sieverts spoke about things he noticed on his walking tour, including a strip of Hispanic businesses on SW 153rd, which he recommended nurturing into a sort of “hispanic market strip” as opposed to making it “another main street” to encourage diversity and as a place for like-minded folks to gather and appreciate their culture.

“This is a huge deal for Burien,” said Mark Kearns, owner of nearby coffee shop Burien Press. “Not many know about Sieverts, but there are people here who have followed him up from Portland, or have come down from Vancouver just to see him speak. His appearance here could put Burien on the international map!”

Highlights of the outdoor discussion included:

• Members of the crowd shared their observations of their walking tour, including concerns over possible vandalism in Dottie Harper Park to some carved faces in a tree stump. Later, resident Guy Harper (no relation to Dottie) explained that the artwork had actually been removed for restoration and had not been vandalized. Host Stadler noted how each interesting space in a city can inspire different stories for different people.
• Mayor Joan McGilton spoke about the effectiveness of temporary art, and proposed doing a mural on the large rear exterior wall of Grocery Outlet across the street. Later, Stadler proposed projecting images on the wall as a solution. Sieverts concurred, and spoke briefly about “softly breaking the law” as a way to revitalize a neighborhood.
• Sieverts’ son, Boris, got up and spoke about discovering the hidden gem nearby known as Lake Burien. He wondered aloud why there was no public access to the private lake, and encouraged residents to demand it. Schaefer then explained about how a small group of residents is trying to gain public access, but have had no success due to much resistance from protective lake residents.
• Near the end of the evening, Boris encouraged everyone to “march down to the lake together.” Schaefer then added “…and go skinny dipping!” Unfortunately for the film crew present, the march and nude swim prank never materialized.

Over 100 people stayed to the end of the evening, even helping “strike the set” by putting chairs and tables away.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• German Urban Planner Thomas Sieverts Featured On KUOW; Will Be At B/ IAS Thursday Beginning At 4pm
• “Where We Live Now: Why Burien?” Featuring Thomas Sieverts, Is Thurs., 7/2

Wednesday morning (July 1st), KUOW Radio featured German Urban planner Thomas Sieverts, who will be the featured guest at a “Nosh & Walk” event Thursday night, July 2nd at the Burien Interim Art Space, beginning at 4pm.

Sieverts coined the term “Zwischenstadt,” a book on the dissolution of the traditional European city, and the new form of urban landscape that emerges. The book was later republished in English under the title, “Where We Live Now.”

The term “Zwischenstadt” became popularized to mean an “in–between city,” or the city between the old historical centers and open countryside. He previously taught urban planning at the University of Visual Arts in Berlin and the Technical University in Darmstadt. He has run his own practice since 1978, and in 2000 jointly founded the architecture group, S.K.A.T.

Thursday night at B/ IAS, Sieverts will discuss Burien’s “Zwischedstadt-edness,” which should provide for some interesting discussion since this will be his first trip here.

Here’s an MP3 of KUOW’s interview with Sieverts:

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Our cities surprise and confound us by scrambling the categories we use to plan and understand them. At once dense and sprawling, crowded and empty, urban but centerless, dynamic and stalled, the landscape where we live defies planning and leaves us with little grasp of its meanings or pleasures.

Yet it is the product of our choices, individually and as a public: we live here now. So, what can we make of it?

Suddenly will bring art and food and public conversation to bear on the common cause of making meaning and life in the landscape where we live now — as it is, as we are, as best we can. 

Borne of the insights of German urban planner Thomas Sieverts, suddenly accepts the paradoxical “in-between’ condition where we live — an inextricable mix of urban and rural, natural and manmade, global and local — and looks to the creative capacity of citizens, artists, writers, and others to articulate meanings and relationships that can sustain us and enrich our lives within that condition.

A festive convocation of planners, activists, neighbors, friends and strangers alike, with food, films, art, music, and frank, ranging conversation, suddenly seeks common ground and new tools for living here now.

In Seattle and Burien, three days of events, occasioned by Thomas Sieverts‘ visit to the area, will bring diverse communities into common conversation around art, writing, film, public policy, and great food.

Come and discuss the wonderful things happening in Burien, and your thoughts for the future with this esteemed urban planner.

The schedule of events is as follows:

• Thurs., July 2nd 4pm-6pm: Burien through Community Eyes: Walk the City with Thomas Sieverts (gather at B/IAS, located at 5th Ave SW & SW 150th St at 3:45pm, Burien; free and open to the public).
• 6pm-8pm: Conversation and Nosh with Thomas Sieverts, Burien political and civic leaders and neighbors (also at B/IAS, 5th Ave SW & SW 150th St., Burien; food by The Mark & Sal’s Deli.)

For more information on Burien events please go to www.burienparks.net or call 206-988-3713.

Seattle Schedule:

• Wednesday, July 1st, 

9 am – 10 am: KUOW-FM radio interviews with Thomas Sieverts
• 12:00 pm – 2:00pm: Thomas Sieverts in public talks with Seattle City Council and regional policy makers (at Seattle City Council chambers; free and open to the public).
• 7:30 pm: “Urban Aesthetics,” lecture by Thomas Sieverts (at Town Hall, 1119 8th Ave., Seattle, $5 suggested donation)
• Friday July 3rd 1 pm – 4pm: NW Film Forum presents “Police Beat” (written by Charles Mudede and directed by Robinson Devor), with after-film panel discussion with Thomas Sieverts, Matthew Stadler, and Charles Mudede (NWFF, 1515 12th Ave., Seattle, Tickets $7).
• Evening: Corridor Project closing dinner hosted by Michael Hebb, with Matthew Stadler and Thomas Sieverts in conversation, including a celebration of “suddenly: where we live now, the visual chronicle;” (location TBA, price TBA, see www.onepot.org for details).
• Ongoing: A portable version of the exhibition, “suddenly: where we live now,” organized on the occasion of German urban planner Thomas Sieverts’ visit to Seattle, will be on view throughout the four days at a location to be determined.

The exhibition includes work by:

• Elias Hansen & Oscar Tuazon
• Molly Dilworth
• Michael Hebb
• Michael McManus
• Marc Joseph Berg

The exhibition opens July 3, 7 p.m., and coincides with a Corridor Project dinner. Exhibition and dinner location TBA.

Please visit www.onepot.org for dinner location and exhibition hours.