Stairway to Seven

One keynote of the recent Project for Public Spaces workshop here in Tacoma was the concept called "The Power of Ten"--the idea that if downtown Tacoma had ten places that were fully "activated" then we would have that long-awaited critical mass, "a series of destinations where tourists and residents alike could become immersed in the city for days at a time". In keeping with our goal of maintaining and expanding the community process begun in the workshop, we've been identifying one place each Friday for the past six weeks, and we encourage your comments for or against each suggestion (or to suggest some place we haven't).

This week's place named (our seventh) is the UW Tacoma Grand Stair, the hillclimb through the University of Washington Tacoma campus connecting Pacific Ave. with Jefferson St. This space is one of the most highly trafficked in downtown, linking the campus library with administrative buildings, assembly halls and retail along Pacific. From time to time, various groups use the Stair to assemble for purposes approved by the university.