On Monday, March 2, 2026, Alesha Shemwell and John Engber attended the Downtown Seattle Association’s (DSA) Future of Downtown Symposium, a dynamic event bringing together community leaders, urban planners, and public officials to explore strategies for revitalizing Downtown Seattle.
The symposium featured several expert speakers who set the tone for robust community discussion:
- Tim Tompkins, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute, discussed the Changing nature of cities and the Downtown mix of uses.
- Ryan Russo, Executive Director of the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), highlighted trends in mobility and transit.
- Ann Berchtold, Director of Public Art and Placemaking with MIG, explored the role of art and culture in downtown revitalization.
- Mukul Malhotra, Chief Innovation Officer at MIG, spoke about designing public spaces that are inclusive, welcoming, thriving, and sustainable.
- Judge Steven Leifman, Founder of the Leifman Group, shared strategies to improve justice and mental health system responses to serious mental illness.
Following the presentations, participants divided into three breakout groups focused on key downtown priorities:
- Make Pike & Pine a Great Pedestrian Experience
- Bolster Downtown as a Vibrant Arts, Culture, and Entertainment Destination
- Ensure Downtown is a Clean and Safe Neighborhood
For the Make Pike & Pine a great pedestrian experience breakout, participants emphasized the importance of the Pike & Pine corridors as vital connections between the Waterfront and the Convention Center. Ideas discussed included fostering a culture shift around homelessness and crime, attracting and enhancing vibrant retail and food & beverage offerings, and starting with small, actionable steps. Proposals such as creating an Office of Public Realm, auditing building owners to identify opportunities for filling vacant spaces, continuing signage from the Waterfront, providing tax incentives to the building owners of the first floor retail and adding more public art and colorful sidewalks were highlighted as ways to energize these streets.
Judge Steven Leifman led a breakout session on justice reform and mental health diversion, sharing lessons from his successful work in Miami–Dade County. His model focuses on diverting individuals with serious mental illness from the criminal justice system into treatment, both before and after arrest.
A critical first step was training police officers to recognize signs of mental illness. During implementation, leaders discovered that 15–30% of officers were experiencing PTSD symptoms themselves, prompting expanded support and reduced stigma within law enforcement. Today, officers take pride in diverting individuals to treatment rather than jail.
If someone is arrested and identified as having a mental illness, they are separated from the general jail population, evaluated by a psychiatrist within 24 hours, and transferred to a crisis stabilization facility within three days. The program has saved Miami–Dade County hundreds of millions of dollars, ultimately allowing the closure of one jail facility while improving outcomes for vulnerable individuals.
The symposium concluded with each breakout group presenting their “Big Ideas,” sparking lively discussion about how these strategies can be integrated into DSA’s Strategic Plan for Downtown Seattle. Participants left energized and inspired by the opportunity to create a downtown that is safe, vibrant, and welcoming for all.
