Seattle, Washington story
A Garden from Negotiation
Not every city park starts with a government decree; some start with a negotiation. In 1975, Asian American activists led by InterIm CDA looked at a piece of steep, undeveloped la…
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Not every city park starts with a government decree; some start with a negotiation. In 1975, Asian American activists led by InterIm CDA looked at a piece of steep, undeveloped land owned by a local business owner named Danny Woo. They didn't just ask for space; they negotiated with Woo to convert his private property into a community garden.
This effort transformed a hillside into a vital green space for the Chinatown-International District. After Danny Woo passed away, the garden was renamed in his honor. It remains a public space today, serving as a living reminder of how activist-led negotiations can create permanent, government-supported assets for a community's well-being.
Updated June 2026