Since a vast majority of community residents feel that the Yesler Community Center is the "heart" of the community along with the Y-intersection of Broadway and Yesler Way, this concept reinforces this sentiment. The idea is to emphasize the Heart of Yesler Terrace by focusing street level uses and activities near and around the existing community center. It also promotes the corner of Yesler Way and Broadway as a dense urban node that mixes uses and activities to support housing and commercial activities throughout the community.

Main Street

Community members believed that installing landscaped walking paths or trails across the neighborhood border would improve the sense of safety and pedestrian connections. The Main Street concept follows this idea by strengthening Yesler Way as a primary east-west vehicular and adding a pedestrian corridor linking Yesler Terrace to downtown Seattle and Boren Avenue South. As a result, Yesler Way functions as a "main street" with ample infrastructure to support transit and pedestrian traffic.

Broadway Linkages

The idea of promoting connections led to the planning concept to strengthen Broadway as a primary north-south vehicular and pedestrian corridor linking to First and Capital Hill. Since Broadway terminates at Yesler Way at the Community Center, it celebrates this interaction and takes advantage of the tremendous territorial views of Seattle and the Duwamish Valley.

Complete Streets

The Complete Streets concept expands upon the desire to further improve access and integrate Yesler Terrace with the surrounding community by completing the urban street grid where feasible. It extends South Main Street west toward Interstate 5, links the southern terminus of 8th Avenue South to extend portions of South Main Street just south of the Community Center and extends 10th Avenue South between South Jackson and South Main Street. As an overarching strategy, street improvements should accommodate all users and include amenities such as trees, pedestrian lighting and seating along the sidewalk.

Leverage Density

The CRC recognized in their guiding principles that increasing density as well as expanding Yesler Terrace's boundaries and permitted uses would allow a greater array of development options. In response, this concept leverages the value of Yesler Terrace land to maximize possibilities. Options include dense mixed-use development along the existing Yesler Terrace boundaries and adding tall buildings along Alder Street adjacent to Harborview Medical Center. The mixed-use development could blend with the scale and building mass of adjacent commercial and residential development.

Mixed-Use Activity

To build upon the idea of expanding the range of permitted uses at Yesler Terrace, this concept encourages mixed-use development that is either horizontal or vertical where appropriate. Attention will be given to incorporate low-income housing throughout. Mixed-use activity would include ground level retail, commercial and office use and residential. The residential options are live-work units, owner occupied or rental units that are seamlessly integrated economically as well as with cultural influences and styles.

The guiding principles call for integrating sustainable design and implementing practices to achieve a positive and healthy community. The Fit Naturally concept follows this directive by proposing a community development that respond to "best practices." Best practices involve considering adjacent uses and building heights to ensure compatibility and provisions for a healthy and energy efficient community through sustainable development. In addition, the unique topography of Yesler Terrace can be employed in a positive way by constructing buildings that assist with vertical circulation and looking at streets as view corridors.

Open Spaces

CRC members and residents dreamed that open spaces and gathering places in association with housing would foster a safe, healthy and family-friendly community. This concept supports this dream by providing places for outdoor gathering and recreation. It builds from the existing Community Center and considers potential opportunities for pocket parks, plazas and pedestrian alleys. The concept also poses that another way to gain public space is to take advantage of street edges as part of the community's overall open space inventory.