Seattle, Washington story
A Garden from Steep Land
Sometimes, activism looks like a handful of seeds and a steep, undeveloped hillside. In 1975, Asian American activists in the Chinatown-International District saw potential where…
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Sometimes, activism looks like a handful of seeds and a steep, undeveloped hillside. In 1975, Asian American activists in the Chinatown-International District saw potential where others saw a wasteland. They negotiated with a local business owner named Danny Woo to convert his property into a space for the people.
Together, they transformed that rugged land into the Danny Woo International District Community Garden. It wasn't just about growing vegetables; it was about rooting the community in their own soil. After Danny Woo passed away, the garden was renamed in his honor, standing today as a living testament to what happens when activists and landowners work together to create a public oasis.
Updated June 2026