First Hill Streetcar
Owing to the themes that everything old is new again and that just because it’s new doesn’t mean it’s better, Seattle has had a resurgence of streetcars in recent years. In the early part of the former century, streetcars graced the causeways of the Emerald City and made easy the seven hills of the city.
The Chinatown/ID* has its own streetcar and tmarks was fortunate enough to lead the design. The challenge here was not one of decoration, but of understanding, listening and unification.
The three distinct neighborhoods of the area are Chinatown, Japantown and Little Saigon. Each has its own unique qualities and reasons for their pride. Personally engaging each of the stakeholders one on one we were able to develop a truthful overview of what matters to each neighborhood and to the individuals representing them. Each neighborhood is depicted with the flower most greatly associated with the culture and then unified with a dragon, a symbol common to them all. Thankfully, the design met with the approval of all three neighborhoods and was so well received, it was the first streetcar to receive a dedication by the Mayor.
