S4 EP2: The Future of Downtown Seattle
A topic that has dominated the news cycle in the COVID-19 aftermath is the future of downtowns. A simple google search on this topic will unleash a barrage of news articles about cities big and small across the country. Seattle is no exception.
Many of the folks who worked downtown have yet to return to their offices. Many commercial spaces are vacant and retail has been hit hard due to the decrease in foot traffic.
So how do we revitalize our downtown corridor? How do we make sure it's a space that welcomes and benefits everyone?
To discuss this topic, we've brought together an amazing trio of guests:
Yoon Kang O'Higgins, Director of Public Programs at Friends of the Waterfront Seattle
Rico Quirindongo, Acting Director of the Office of Planning and Community Development at the City of Seattle
Jon Scholes, President & CEO of the Downtown Seattle Association
They share their origin stories which span across the Central District, University Place, the Guggenheim Museum, Pike Place Market, St. Louis, New York City, and Oakland.
They discussed their favorite aspects of Seattle's downtown (can you guess what they picked?) and then really dug into the future of Downtown Seattle.
This discussion ranged from the future impact of the Waterfront, transforming commercial space into residential space, attracting visitors through arts & cultural attractions, and reimaging street-level retail.
And throughout the conversation, they held to the ideal of creating a space of Belonging and equity.
Join our discussion on the future of downtown Seattle with some of the folks who are most poised to impact it.
Thank you again to the Big Phony, a Korean-American singer/songwriter living in Seoul, South Korea for allowing us to use his music in our intro and outro, all royalty-free!
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Coming soon.