Street Trees of Seattle An Illustrated Walking Guide

About this book

The majestic trees of Seattle's neighbourhoods take centre stage in this illustrated and informative walking guide. Want to discover which neighbourhood has the highest concentration of cherry street trees when cherry blossoms are at their peak? Eager to stroll down the only street lined with western red cedars? Curious how monkey puzzle trees made their way to the city?

Using data visualization as a starting point, the author takes readers on a tour of existing street trees throughout Seattle's neighbourhoods and iconic parks through charming illustrations and maps. In the process, she educates readers on the history of the trees and the city, and offers up sketches of trees, leaves, and leaflets to identify trees throughout 33 different neighbourhoods. The most notable of each species are highlighted, so urban adventurers can fully appreciate their surroundings or design their own walking routes to experience these natural wonders in their favorite areas of the city.

The book is organized alphabetically by neighbourhood and each area:
- Showcases a species of tree
- Includes a history of the tree and neighborhood
- Offers maps and callouts for spotting the best street specimens

In an increasingly digital world, the book invites readers to slow down and embrace an analog approach to tree-spotting during their urban meanderings.

Contents

Introduction
Methodology
Instructions

The Trees and their Neighborhoods
1. Ballard | Cherry, etc.. (Prunus) | "the tree of hope"
2. Beacon Hill | Holly (Ilex) | "the tree of domestic happiness"
3. Bryant | Monkey Puzzle Tree (Araucaria)
4. Capitol Hill NE | Redwoods (Sequoia)
5. Capitol Hill SE | Maple (Acer) | "the tree of reserve"
6. Central District | Ash (Fraxinus) | "the tree of grandeur"
7. Columbia City | Walnut (Juglans) | "the tree of intellect"
8. Delridge | Madrone (Arbutus) | "the tree of true love"
9. Downtown | Plane (Platanus) | "the tree of genius"
10. Eastlake | Willow (Salix) | "the tree of recovery"
11. Fremont | Pine (Pinus) | "the tree of courage"
12. Georgetown | Locust (Robinia) | "the tree of friendship"
13. Green Lake | Ginkgo (Gingko) | "the tree of survival"
14. Greenwood | Dogwood (Cornus) | "the tree of durability"
15. Leschi | Apple (Malus) | "the tree of transformation"
16. Loyal Heights | Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus) | "the tree of protection"
17. Madison Park | Hawthorn (Crataegus) | "the tree of contradictions"
18. Madison Valley | False Cypress (Chamaecyparis)
19. Madrona | Arborvitae (Thuja) | "the tree of life"
20. Magnolia | Magnolia (Magnolia) | "the tree of magnificence"
21. Maple Leaf | Poplar (Populus) | "the tree of eloquence"
22. Mount Baker | Linden (Tilia) | "the tree of love"
23. Phinney Ridge | Cedar (Cedrus) | "the tree of strength"
24. Queen Anne NW | Birch (Betula) | "the tree of grace"
25. Queen Anne SW | Beech (Fagus) | "the tree of prosperity"
26. Ravenna | Hemlock (Tsuga)
27. Roanoke | Elm (Ulmus) | "the tree of dignity"
28. South Park | Catalpa (Catalpa)
29. University District | Horse Chestnut (Aesculus) | "the tree of good luck"
30. Wallingford | Fir & Doug Fir (Abies & Pseudotsuga) | "the tree of resilience"
31. Wedgwood N. | Spruce (Picea) | "the tree of farewell"
32. Wedgwood S. | Oak (Quercus) | "the tree of bravery"
33. West Seattle | Yew (Taxus) | "the tree of immortality"

Parks
1. Volunteer Park & Lake View Cemetery
2. Seward Park

Afterword
Acknowledgements
Index

Customer Reviews

Biography

Taha Ebrahimi is the director of Tableau Public, a free platform to explore, create and publicly share online data visualizations about publicly available data. She is also a "celebrity" judge of Iron Viz, the world's largest virtual data visualization competition. She is passionate about the storytelling power of data visualization to democratize the understanding of complex data insights. Taha is also the co-chair of the Cal Anderson Park Alliance and a contributor to Crosscut where she writes about things like local mapmaking. She began her career as a journalist at The Seattle Times, has taught writing at the University of Pittsburgh, and has been a recipient of fellowships granted by The Thomas J. Watson Foundation (IBM) and the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation.