May 23, 1973, marks an important moment in the early history of Discovery Park—and in the development of the vision that continues to guide the park today.
Friends of Discovery Park board member and retired Magnolia Community Council president Heidi Carpine worked with landscape architect Daniel Urban Kiley, author of Discovery Park’s original Master Plan, 46 years ago today. Heidi is still going strong, and you might even chance upon her while walking along the park trails!
In 1973, Friends of Discovery Park was known as the Citizens for Fort Lawton Park, one of the community groups involved in helping shape the former military property into the public park we know today.
The Vision Behind Discovery Park
Landscape architect Daniel Urban Kiley was one of the most influential American landscape architects of the 20th century. Rather than treating Fort Lawton simply as land available for development, Kiley and his collaborators envisioned something much more ambitious: a large, naturalistic urban park where people could experience open space, wildlife, quiet, and a sense of escape from the city.
The resulting Discovery Park Master Plan established the park’s foundational philosophy. It called for the former military landscape to be transformed into an urban wilderness—a place where forests, meadows, beaches, bluffs, and other natural landscapes could provide opportunities for recreation, reflection, and connection with nature.
That vision continues to influence how Discovery Park is cared for today. The Master Plan is more than a historical document; it provides an important framework for thinking about the park’s natural character and how it should be protected as Seattle continues to grow.
A Legacy of Community Stewardship
People like Heidi Carpine were an important part of turning that vision into reality. The creation of Discovery Park was not simply the result of a plan drawn by landscape architects. It took years of community advocacy, public involvement, stewardship, and commitment to establish the former Fort Lawton property as a public park.
Today, Friends of Discovery Park continues that tradition of community involvement. We work to protect the park’s natural landscapes and the qualities that make it a unique urban wilderness.
You can learn more about Discovery Park’s Master Plan and explore the history of how Fort Lawton became Discovery Park.
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