By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office held a media briefing last week to provide an update on the Downtown Is You initiative, a key component of his Downtown Activation Plan (DAP).
Bringing together officials from the Office of Economic Development, Public Safety, and Arts and Culture, the discussion focused on strategies to enhance public safety, revitalize key downtown areas, and optimize spaces to create a more vibrant and welcoming city center. Priority areas include Westlake Center, Pioneer Square, 3rd Avenue, and the downtown retail district—all of which play a significant role in Seattle’s economic recovery and urban experience.
With public safety remaining a top priority, Natalie Walton-Anderson, Director of Public Safety, outlined the city’s multifaceted approach to addressing crime, improving public health, and fostering an environment that encourages foot traffic and community engagement.
“Ensuring that downtown is safe, and welcoming is critical to the success of the Downtown Activation Plan,” Walton-Anderson said. “People want a downtown where they feel comfortable living, working, and visiting. That’s what we are laser-focused on.”
She emphasized four key principles guiding the city’s safety initiatives:
• Enforcement: Strengthening law enforcement efforts to deter criminal activity.
• Environmental improvements: Making infrastructure changes that promote safety, such as improved lighting and pedestrian-friendly design.
• Public health interventions: Addressing root causes of crime, such as mental health and substance use challenges, through holistic solutions.
• Activation: Increasing foot traffic and activity in public spaces, which naturally enhances security by creating a more populated, engaged environment.
In addition to public safety, Third Avenue’s revitalization is another major focus. As a critical transit corridor, Third Avenue serves buses and Sound Transit lines, but at the street level, it has long faced challenges such as safety concerns, vacant storefronts, and underutilized spaces.
To improve the pedestrian experience, the city has partnered with Metro, the Downtown Seattle Association (DSA), and private property owners to make targeted changes. Efforts include removing nonfunctional street furniture, adding clearer signage and painted lines for easier navigation, and incorporating public art installations to enhance the vibrancy of the area.
The Downtown Activation Plan (DAP) is structured around seven core goals aimed at reinvigorating Seattle’s urban center:
• Making downtown safe and welcoming
• Transforming downtown into a lively neighborhood with affordable living options
• Creating a unique and thriving downtown retail experience
• Bringing the workforce back and positioning downtown as an attractive place to work
• Celebrating Seattle’s arts, culture, sports, and entertainment scene
• Establishing downtown as a must-visit destination for locals and tourists
• Developing a sustainable, resilient, and green downtown
A key part of DAP is supporting small businesses and revitalizing the retail sector. Through initiatives such as the Liberty Project, the city aims to promote entrepreneurship and provide resources for historically underserved businesses, particularly Black-owned enterprises.
Additionally, Seattle Restored will fill vacant storefronts with artists and small businesses, helping to breathe new life into retail corridors. The launch of a Small Business Navigation Team will also provide entrepreneurs with guidance on city regulations, permits, and funding opportunities to help them succeed.
Markham McIntyre, Director of the Seattle Office of Economic Development, stressed the importance of being proactive in attracting businesses and tenants to downtown spaces.
“We don’t want to sit on the sidelines and hope that we get lucky,” McIntyre said. “We really want to be aggressive and intentional about how we are trying to attract new tenants into our office environment, which will, in turn, help our ground-floor retail environment.”
With many companies shifting to hybrid and remote work models, officials are also prioritizing efforts to bring workers back downtown. By engaging both public and private sector leaders, the city is working to develop return-to-office strategies and hybrid work policies that encourage more office occupancy.
Community events, such as Black Tech Night, have already shown success in creating a sense of belonging and engagement among workers. Going forward, the city plans to expand networking events, provide incentives for childcare and education services, and introduce a “life at night” agenda to keep businesses active during evening hours.
Arts, culture, and entertainment remain central to the city’s vision for a thriving downtown. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to bring over 700,000 visitors to Seattle, the city sees this as an opportunity to create lasting transformations.
To ensure the city maximizes the economic and cultural impact of the event, the mayor’s office is hiring a Director of Citywide Special Events to oversee an integrated strategy for promoting major events, boosting Seattle’s creative economy, and ensuring a seamless experience for residents and visitors alike. Other cultural initiatives include revitalizing Bumbershoot, commissioning large-scale murals and public art installations, and increasing community-driven cultural celebrations.
Deputy Mayor Greg Wong identified Westlake Center and the World Cup as two transformative projects that could reshape downtown Seattle for decades to come.
“Westlake has always been the heart of the city,” Wong said. “It’s a transit hub, a park, a retail space, and a gathering place. The question before us is: given the state of Westlake today, what’s next? How do we reimagine it for the future?”
City leaders view the World Cup as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to showcase Seattle on the global stage and implement long-term improvements to downtown infrastructure.
“Let’s take advantage of the World Cup opportunity,” Wong said.
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“Hundreds of thousands of people will be coming, and the closest light rail station to our fan fest at Seattle Center will be Westlake Station. People will be flowing from the convention center, from hotels, through our pipeline corridor, and through Westlake. So what can we do in the near term to ensure downtown is activated and successful during the World Cup—and that it serves as a springboard for the future?”
At the heart of the Downtown Activation Plan’s success is people—residents, visitors, business owners, and workers.
“Everything we are doing is about making downtown safer, more welcoming, and more interesting—to bring more people downtown,” McIntyre said. “This is about creating a place where people want to live, work, and experience everything Seattle has to offer.”
