Seattle, Washington story
A Garden of Activism
Not every city garden is just about the flowers; some are grown from resistance. In 1975, Asian American activists looked at a steep, undeveloped piece of land owned by a local bu…
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Not every city garden is just about the flowers; some are grown from resistance. In 1975, Asian American activists looked at a steep, undeveloped piece of land owned by a local business owner named Danny Woo and saw an opportunity. Through negotiations led by InterIm CDA, they converted that property into a community space.
This became the Danny Woo International District Community Garden, a green sanctuary tucked into the Chinatown-International District. It wasn't just about planting seeds, but about claiming space for a community to gather and thrive. After Danny Woo passed away, the garden was renamed in his honor, forever linking his name to this plot of land.
Today, it remains a free, public space from dawn until dusk, where the tradition of community activism is still very much in bloom.
Updated June 2026