Welcome to the GLOG, our point of view behind the design.

GGLO’s crack team of designers transformed a chunk of John St. into a captivating azur hangout at the Seattle Great City Initiative’s Summer Street Scene Party yesterday, next to the South Lake Union Discovery Center. GGLOers, friends, and new acquaintances stopped by to chat, eat, nurse their babies, and chill in the shade, making “The Hang Out” installation a success.

The competition asked designers and artists to “transform ordinary, identical parking spots into unique innovative, attractive and inviting urban spaces,” and a handful of GGLO’s LA group--Laura, Anne-Emilie, Marieke S R, Wilma, Kent, Zack, and Meredith--took on the challenge.

Starting with a few charettes where they mulled over what was lacking on the ordinary South Lake Union street, the inspiration for The Hang Out came from Laura’s images of laundry hanging above the streets of European and Asian cities. The group was hooked: not only is hanging laundry a delightful sight, it conveys so many important messages! Drying laundry outside saves energy and keeps greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. It creates shade on hot July days. And, in South Lake Union, where condos and HOAs dominate the landscape–and often prohibit public drying--it puts a personal touch in the public realm.



With the addition of tables and chairs to three Breezecatcher umbrella-style clotheslines, the team created a fantastically comfortable and inviting place to hang out uniquely suited to summer urban streetlife. (Buy yours from Paul at The Clothesline Shop.)

This May, GGLO had 24 riders participate in the annual Group Health - Bike to Work - Commute Challenge. Our three teams combined for 2648.2 miles and 236 days biked. There were 648 organizations, 1,320 teams and 8,670 riders participating in this year’s challenge – riding 1,084,745.5 miles.

Special props to Wilma Stordahl and Marieke Lacasse who took the Cascade Bike Clubs bike safety class last month, Don Vehige for rear ending a car on his bike and Zach for breaking two bikes – one from riding too much and the other from getting hit by a car.

Each year, GGLO donates trees, shrubs and labor to one of our affordable housing clients in celebration of Arbor Day.

This year's recipient was Capitol Hill Housing's Bremer / John Carney Apartments' courtyard. In just two hours, Anne-Emilie, Barry, Laura, Lydia, Marieke S-R, Matt, Ramon, Zack and Shaney planted three trees and over 100 shrubs and ground cover; transforming the neglected courtyard into a beautiful respite.

The apartment manager and one resident helped our crew with installation, and emailed to say how "fabulous the courtyard looks and how rejuvenated the residents of the building feel having the work done".

Capitol Hill Housing thanks GGLO for our "good deeds". Our Arbor Day donation has freed up funds for them to purchase new furniture for this courtyard.

Thanks to everyone who supported and volunteered for the planting party, the Contributions Committee for supporting this cause, and a special thanks to the “select” group that carried all that soil up two flights of stairs!