On Wednesdayhundreds of Seattles business and community leaders gathered at the Sheraton in Downtown Seattle for the annual 2015 DSA State of Economics Forum.
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray spoke on the importance of Downtown Seattle, highlighting the need for improving public safety and increasing the services provided to the mentally ill and homeless. Massachusetts and New York actually pay for mental health treatment. Were #47 in the nation in mental health beds that we provide, Murray said. And that “Seattle needs to get its act together. He also discussed the need to clean up Seattle streets from illegal drug activity and that downtown residents are occasionally approaching him to talk about safety and drug activity on the streets.
During the keynote presentation by Dr. Benjamin Barber, Political Theorist, he discussed ideas from his new book If Mayors Ruled the World. He called Seattle a remarkable city, and spoke on how civic engagement can advance important Downtown issues, encouraging citizens to act together as one to create a flourishing city.
C.R. Douglas from Q-13 Fox showcased a few exciting emerging technologies for Urban Centers. The Innovators behind KERB, NextDoor and PARKT gave attendees a stronger understanding of new technologies currently available that target current downtown and neighborhood issues. Each of these innovators provided previews of their ground-breaking tools.
- KERBspace– Fun app that helps visitors act like locals. KERBs sidewalk concierge combines maps, photos, polls, specials and more- in real time!
- NextDoor– A private social network for neighborhoods and communities. It allows you to connect with your neighbors to trade services, get recommendations, learn about upcoming events, local chatter, report a crime to SPD, and more.
- PARKT– Shop with a single merchant to validate a portion of your parking, or stack offers from multiple merchants to earn free parking. Think of it as affiliate programs for parking. Using your phone you scan the barcode associated with the parking space, then pops up the deals of neighboring businesses. i.e.: Get $10 off of $150 when you shop at Ian.
Newly appointed Jon Scholes, President & CEO of the Downtown Seattle Association gave the annual State of Downtown Report, discussing statistics about Seattles growth and what is to come in 2015 for transportation, office and residential development, employment, tourism and retail.
Some great facts to take away from his presentation: Since 2009 the number of downtown residents, employees, retail sales and entertainment & hospitality sales have all increased. Seattle growth is on the up.
Some great statistics to soak in:
#1 city in U.S. to find a job
#1 fastest-growing big city in U.S
#1 Nations most sustainable city
#1 Highest job growth for small business in U.S.
#2 Best city for high-tech growth
#2 Best city for recent college grads
#5 Best U.S. cities for tech startups
Check out this lunch break reading material when you get a chance: DSAs 2015 State of Downtown Economic Report. A fantastic report that highlights the indicators of Downtowns economic health- organized into four sections that represent key indicators of an economically vibrant and active urban core: living, working, shopping and playing Downtown.
Want more information or to learn how to get involved:Vistit DowntownSeattle/DSA