Overlook Walk is an elevated public park and pedestrian bridge between Seattle's downtown and historic waterfront. The project emerged as a central component of international landscape architecture firm Field Operations' 15-year initiative to reimagine and redesign the city's waterfront. Serving today as a transformative link between the city and the shore, Overlook Walk restores a connection that was severed for decades by the Alaskan Way Viaduct, which once cut residents and visitors off from public space along Elliott Bay.

Past Solutions
The history of Seattle's waterfront is one of industry, shipping, and transportation. Over the years, the shoreline was filled in to bridge the gap between the city and the piers. Following the natural bluff that once existed, the grade change between the city and waterfront increases going north, reaching a 100-foot elevation change between Pike Place Market above and the Seattle Aquarium situated at the edge of the water.

Historically, goods were shipped to the waterfront and uploaded to the market. In the early 1900s, the shipping and railroad services gave way to a car-centered mode of transportation, resulting in the construction of the Alaskan Way Viaduct between 1949 and 1959. The Viaduct took shape as a double-decker highway, carrying over 90,000 vehicles per day. This new infrastructure severed the connection between Seattle's urban core and the water and significantly contributed to shade, noise, and air pollution.

 

In Need Of A New Answer
The 2001 6.8-magnitude Nisqually earthquake prompted a major overhaul of building codes and seismic safety measures, leading engineers to determine that the city's Alaskan Way Viaduct and seawall - critical waterfront infrastructure - were especially vulnerable to future earthquakes. The seawall was constructed in the early 20th century from massive trunks of ekki wood, a West African timber valued for its strength and resistance to decay. After decades of use, officials discovered that marine borers known as gribbles had eaten away at the submerged wood piles, leaving them structurally compromised. The visible damage following the 2001 earthquake, in tandem with the seawall's worsening decay, made it clear that replacement was not only necessary but urgent. In the years that followed, the seawall was rebuilt and the viaduct demolished, replaced by the SR99 tunnel and the new, on-grade Alaskan Way and Elliott Way. With the former viaduct gone, Seattle gained a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform its waterfront into a vibrant public realm that reconnects the city to the sound, welcoming people to gather, celebrate, and build community along the water's edge.

In 2010, the city of Seattle selected Field Operations, in partnership with engineering firm Jacobs, to develop a comprehensive framework plan and design for the construction of 1.5 miles of Seattle's waterfront, spanning 26 city blocks. The team aimed to design a state-of-the-art, accessible, and equitable waterfront, collaborating with multidisciplinary partners and engaging with various stakeholders and agencies to bring this vision to life. The waterfront program was organized through a phased implementation strategy divided into distinct projects, each with its own schedule and budget. Through this process, the design team incrementally reconnected Seattle's urban grid to the waterfront with restored piers, streetscapes, promenades, and innovative marine infrastructure.

Surprised By Opportunity
As the work extended toward Pike Place Market, the dramatic 100-foot grade drop between the Market and the Seattle Aquarium below revealed both a challenge and an opportunity. While not part of the project's original scope, Overlook Walk emerged as a key solution to resolve this disconnect: a large-scale pedestrian bridge and park designed to link two of the city's most iconic cultural landmarks while providing a fully accessible path, restoring panoramic views over the bay and downtown, creating play areas, and integrating native plantings rooted in the ecology and traditions of the Pacific Northwest. The project also contributes to local infrastructure, as all structures around the tunnel coordinate to support the historic BNSF railroad line under Overlook Walk while providing a railroad overlook at the north end of the structure. Spanning 60,000 square feet, the design and construction of Overlook Walk required meticulous coordination with concurrent road construction below, utility infrastructure, the integration of the new Ocean Pavillion building, and the creation of an elevated, accessible park space.

Twin Structures
Completed in 2024, Overlook Walk is composed of two interconnected structures: Overlook Bridge and Bluff Walk Bridge. The former is characterized by a graceful, sculpted form that narrows over the roadway, allowing light to reach the street below while framing expansive views toward Elliott Bay. To the north, the Bluff Walk Bridge continues this sequence, stepping down the hillside in a series of terraces and pathways that respond to the site's dramatic topography. This connectivity was inspired by a historic link between Pike Place Market and the waterfront. Fresh goods for the market used to arrive by boat and were lifted up the bluff to the market for sale. Together, the two bridges connect Pike Place Market with the Seattle Aquarium, creating new gathering spaces, lookouts, and routes that draw people between the city and the sea.

Within these two interconnected structures that comprise Overlook Walk, the project includes an array of programmatic elements that foster a wide range of activities. The dramatic Salish Steps descend towards Waterfront Park's promenade, providing a sheltered amphitheater that faces Pier 62 and Elliott Bay while serving as a venue for performances and events that further activate the waterfront. Other opportunities for families and socialization were integrated into the design, like a sloping play area offering a space for children to run, climb, and slide amidst evergreen trees and native plantings. Interspersed among the amenities are over 15 works of art set up by the design team as part of an Art Plan for the waterfront. Some of the installations include "Seawall Strata" by environmental infrastructure artist Laura Haddad as part of the Elliott Bay Seawall; multimedia artist Ann Hamilton's "Guests" puppets under Overlook Walk; "Salish Basket" by indigenous artists MTK Matriarchs; and "House of Welcome" by Lummi Nation glass artist Dan Friday. In addition to ample public space, Overlook Walk welcomes visitors with a Café Building, which will feature a concessionaire, indoor amenities, and a canopied outdoor seating area.

A View to the Future
Though Pike Place Market has been a major Seattle destination, the communities living around it used to be cut off from the waterfront and it lacked amenities such as playgrounds for children and accessible paths for the elderly. Overlook Walk has quickly become a defining landmark for the area, honoring the city's layered history and spirit of innovation while reconnecting the public with Elliott Bay. Both an infrastructure project and a living public landscape, Overlook Walk stands as a collective achievement of designers, civic leaders, local tribes, and community voices, marking a new chapter in Seattle's relationship with its waterfront. In its ambition and impact, the project reflects the broader global movement to reclaim urban waterfronts as public spaces of access, connection, and renewal after generations of industrial and infrastructural separation.