Downtown Seattle Discussions
By Downtown Seattle Association
Downtown Seattle DiscussionsOct 31, 2019
SoD 2020 - Next 10
What will the next 10 years hold for Seattle? What are the “must dos” for downtown in the next decade? What are the major economic, political and technology challenges and opportunities that will influence the Seattle of 2030?
Sod 2020 - Retail Evolution
Significant investment, demographic shifts and national retail trends have played out on the streets of downtown Seattle and altered our retail landscape for better and worse.
Sod 2020 - Lid I-5
Could a lid over I-5 be an answer to the shrinking supply of green space and developable land, while also reducing noise and air pollution?
SoD 2020 - Breaking the Mold
Learn how four transformative projects are going beyond proformas to set unprecedented benchmarks for sustainability, placemaking, retail and design.
City Maker Breakfast: Transforming Third Avenue (Nov. 2019)
Third Avenue is Seattle’s hardest-working transit corridor, carrying more buses than any other street in North America. More than 52,000 transit riders use the street every day, but sections of it feel congested and unwelcoming to pedestrians and transit riders alike. Inspired by peer cities around the country, including Denver, DSA championed a new long-term vision for Third Avenue in partnership with the City of Seattle, King County and Third Avenue stakeholders. The vision proposes a world-class street that balances the needs of transit, retail, restaurants and parks. DSA recently led a visit to Denver to see how that city is investing in and planning to create a positive, welcoming and high-quality pedestrian and transit experience in the heart of their downtown.
Moderator: Roger Nyhus, President & CEO, Nyhus Communications
Panelists:
- Adam Perkins
Senior Manager of Urban Planning, Downtown Denver Partnership - Jacqueline Gruber
Senior Economic Development Manager, Downtown Seattle Association - Sabrina Villanueva
Director of Property Management, Clise Properties - Frank Chiachiere
Board Member & General Manager, Seattle Transit Blog
Public Safety Forum (Oct. 2019)
Seattle and Minneapolis both face a relatively small number of offenders causing outsize damage in their community. Minneapolis found ways to dramatically reduce recidivism. Can the same solutions work here?
City Maker Breakfast: What's Next for the Seattle Squeeze (May 2019)
In January, Seattleites survived three weeks without State Route 99 as crews decommissioned the viaduct and opened the new SR 99 tunnel. In March, 830 buses came out of the downtown transit tunnel onto surface streets. Though challenging, these moves position us for an expanded Washington State Convention Center, a new waterfront park and a robust regional light rail system.
What lies ahead now for Seattle-area commuters? How are transportation leaders preparing for additional improvements while still encouraging people to come downtown? What’s the future of transit, light rail, bus routes and the streetcar?
At our May City Maker Breakfast, attendees heard from our region’s transportation leaders as they discussed how they’re working together to keep Seattle moving and thriving.
City Maker Breakfast: System Failure (April 2019)
Seattle’s criminal justice system is failing. It’s letting down residents, business owners, visitors and the very people committing crimes. A relatively small number of people are causing a significant amount of the crime in Seattle neighborhoods, and they continue to offend at an alarming rate, cycling in and out of jail.
These are the findings of a recent report commissioned by DSA and partners, designed to better understand the impact these prolific offenders are having on our community, the root causes of their behavior, and what’s being done to reduce recidivism.
At our April City Maker Breakfast, we heard from the people on the front lines of this issue: neighborhood leaders, the report’s author and a City of Seattle judge. April’s panel was moderated by Dave Ross of Seattle’s Morning News on 97.3 FM.
SOD 2019: Technology & Transportation: The Future of Urban Mobility
From sharable e-bikes to new train connections, to car-share and ride-share, there are more options than ever to get around Seattle. As the city continues to add residents and jobs at a record pace, we need to integrate new modes of transportation and prepare for those still on drawing boards and in research labs. What’s the future for autonomous vehicles and electric scooters? How will $7-plus billion of investment in light rail shape Seattle’s landscape? And how can cities harness all of these new technologies and investments to support healthy, vibrant urban cores? Our panel of national experts offered insights and predictions on the future of transportation in fast-growing cities.
Moderator:
Jennifer Weiland | Nelson Nygaard
Panelists:
Margi Bradway | Portland Metro Deputy for Transportation Planning
Kevin Desmond | CEO, TransLink
Phillip Washington | CEO, LA Metro
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Downtown Seattle Association | downtownseattle.org
State of Downtown | downtownseattle.org/SOD
Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt | https://www.schwabe.com/
SOD 2019: The Opioid Epidemic: A Local Look at a National Emergency
According to a new report by the National Safety Council, Americans are more likely to die of an accidental opioid overdose than in a car crash. In 2017, 379 people died of drug overdoses in King County. A total of 69 percent of deaths involved heroin and opioids, including fentanyl. Nationally, the federal department of Health and Human Services declared a public-health emergency in 2017 and announced a five-point strategy to combat the opioid crisis. The CDC estimates the total economic burden of prescription opioid misuse in the US is $78.5 billion a year, including the costs of health care, lost productivity, addiction treatment and criminal justice involvement. This breakout session examined the opioid epidemic plaguing Seattle and the nation. Our expert panelists explained the growing crisis facing our city and county, efforts to get people into treatment, and the impact of the declaration of a national public health emergency.
Moderator:
Dave Willard | Vice President of Clean, Safe & Outreach Operations, Metropolitan Improvement District
Panelists:
Molly Carney, Ph.D., MBA | Executive Director, Evergreen Treatment Services
Brad Finegood | Strategic Advisor, Public Health — Seattle & King County, Office of the Director
Jason Kletter, Ph.D. | President, BayMark Health Services and chair, American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Disorders Legislative Committee
Downtown Seattle Association | downtownseattle.org
State of Downtown | downtownseattle.org/SOD
Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt | https://www.schwabe.com/
SOD 2019: From a Freeway to Future Possibilities: The Opportunity to Lid Interstate 5
Downtown Seattle is one of the nation’s fastest-growing urban centers. Today there are more than 82,000 people living and more than 301,000 jobs in downtown. As we continue to welcome new residents, workers and employers, how can we create more space for housing, jobs, parks and schools? How can lidded freeways create greater connectivity, sustainability and opportunity for all? How should Seattle apply lessons from across the country to re-imagine the areas above Interstate 5 through downtown? In 2019, Seattle will embark on a study to answer these and other questions and examine the feasibility of lidding I-5. In this session, attendees heard from experts working on this exciting effort to move Seattle forward as well as a national expert from Philadelphia, which boasts a lidded interstate.
Moderator:
Larry Costich | Attorney, Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt
Panelists:
Sam Assefa | Director, Office of Planning & Community Development, City of Seattle
Liz Dunn | Principal, Dunn & Hobbes, LLC
Karen Thompson | Director of Planning, Delaware River Waterfront Corporation
Downtown Seattle Association | downtownseattle.org
State of Downtown | downtownseattle.org/SOD
Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt | https://www.schwabe.com/
SOD 2019: Promising Approaches for Affordable Housing
Seattle faces an affordable housing and homelessness crisis requiring new ideas, partnerships and approaches. More and more people are struggling to find affordable places to live within a reasonable commute to their jobs and a growing number find themselves without a home at all. What are effective strategies to house more people and how can we accelerate production of affordable housing to cut costs and construction timelines? What’s the future of prefabricated, modular housing and how can public land be leveraged in new ways to increase development opportunities? What programs are working and where are additional effort and resources needed? Attendees learned more about efforts being championed by local business, nonprofit and civic leaders to increase the supply of affordable housing.
Moderator:
Gabe Grant | Principal, Spectrum Development
Panelists:
John Arthur Wilson | King County Assessor
Janet Pope | Executive Director, Compass Housing Alliance
Aaron Holm | Co-CEO, Blokable
A-P Hurd | CEO, Skipstone
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Downtown Seattle Association | downtownseattle.org
State of Downtown | downtownseattle.org/SOD
Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt | https://www.schwabe.com/