Due to Seattle's difficult topography, the city has spent more than a century building in excess of 650 staircases linking sections of neighborhoods that are otherwise isolated or disconnected.

The Howe Street Stairs were originally built in 1911 to provide a pedestrian link between two different lines in Seattle's former streetcar system.

[1] A proposal to construct a plaza at the bottom of the staircase has been advanced by area residents since the 2000s.

[2] The stairs, which begin at Eastlake Avenue, are divided into 13 flights interrupted by landings and streets.

[1] A portion of the stairs pass through the I-5 Colonnade, a city park under an elevated section of Interstate 5.