Who are our Audience (who will use the park)? DRAFT
Draft Ideas – Audience
Already, 60,000 people visit The Center for Wooden Boats annually. An engaging South Lake Union Maritime Park could attract hundreds of thousands of yearly visitors. This park will mean different things to different people, and the Master Plan seeks to outline who those various park users might be and how to accomadate them.
A extended entry brainstorming about who our audience is below. Once again should you have any thoughts about the audiences that the park should serve or how it could best serve you, please do not hesitate to comment using the "comments" link below.
Youth
Youth is such an important audience for heritage interpretation, let’s note that in this proposal “youth” means kids in the K-12 age range, visiting in organized groups.
CWB has a successful history of interpreting maritime heritage to youth, and we see tremendous potential for doing so in the South Lake Union Park.
Youth thrive on active, playful learning style. The learn by being challenged, and through a hands-on, experiential interpretation style.
Youth tours and activities need to be age appropriate. Interpretation should be included for elementary, middle, and high school groups.
Youth interpretation happens during:
• Field trips
• After School Programs
• Summer Day Camp
• Maritime Campus Education
• Youth Sailing Workshops/events
Populations served:
• K-12 Schools
• Open populations ( Boys and Girls Clubs, Scouts)
• Focused populations (Native American groups, Orion Center)
• Integrated curriculum K-12
Cultural Tourists
“Cultural Tourist” is our broad term for the park visitors who will be attracted to the park’s unique mix of maritime heritage and boats.Cultural Tourists include:
• Short term visitors to Seattle: vacations, business trips, etc
• Boat lovers: all types of boats
• Historians, and lovers of history
• People living near Seattle who value cultural enrichment
• Organized local groups like MOHAI’s Historic Tours, Historic Seattle
• Organized groups of out-of-town tourists
Seattle’s visitors want to understand what makes this city unique, and why this rainy place is so well loved. They’re looking for context and identity, and an authentic taste of this Northwest city.
Interpretation must also be appropriate for repeat visitors – those already familiar with Seattle’s history, and whose interpretation needs are more in depth.
We can partner with touring organizations to present content to existing groups.
Neighbors
An additional 10,000 people will soon be living in the South Lake Union area. Thousands more will be working or shopping in the neighborhood, or will be within an easy streetcar or water taxi ride.
Park neighbors will be:
• Families with kids
• Retired folks, and single residents
• Temporary residents, like the Fred Hutchinson patients
• Employees working nearby, including downtown and along the streetcar line
• Clients and hiring prospects for neighborhood companies
• People coming and going via water taxi
Some neighbors will be attracted to the green space and water views.
Some will return frequently if there are opportunities to be involved in park activities.
As the South Lake Union neighborhood reinvents itself as a biotech hub, an anticipated 40% of the Park’s neighbors will have a college education. We can expect them to be inquisitive, and to value learning.
All park neighbors will appreciate an ever changing style of interpretation – something fresh and new each visit, and the hidden treasures.