Kirkland Street Named A 'Great Places In America' Site

KIRKLAND, WA - Kirkland's pedestrian-friendly Park Lane was recently named one of the top five best streets in the U.S. by the American Planning Association (APA). Park Lane is among a handful of sites across the U.S. that made the "Great Places In America" list.

The APA cited Park Lane's pedestrian-first design, its frequent community events, and its use of permeable surfaces to clean water runoff as some of the reasons the street is one of the best.

"Rather than simply replacing the water main, ripping up the trees, and repaving the sidewalks, the city of Kirkland decided to boldly reinvent Park Lane in the style of an 'American woonerf,' after the Dutch word that translates roughly to 'living street,'" the APA said of the street.

Park Lane was joined on the list by streets like Lincoln Avenue in Chicago and Congress Street in Tucson, Ariz.

“When we rebuilt this vital downtown avenue, we set our goals high," Mayor Amy Walen said in a statement. "Our community told us they wanted a walkable, vibrant and green destination place. Those essentials required imagination, curiosity and commerce. We are proud to have hit the mark and are grateful for a robust public process and a team of engineers, designers and contractors who fulfilled the dream."

City officials will get an award for Park Lane from the APA at 5 p.m. Friday during the monthly Art Walk.

Image via City of Kirkland