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Seattle Shines at the International Downtown Association’s 70th Annual Conference

Written by Nola Liu, Community Development Specialist, and Casey Rogers, Business District Program and Policy Advisor.

General Session Downtown and Achievement Awards Presentation

We had the pleasure of hosting the 70th Annual International Downtown Association Conference here in Seattle! It was an incredible opportunity for place management professionals (including our Business Improvement Areas and other neighborhood partners), urban enthusiasts, community leaders, and innovative thinkers from around the world to come together under the theme “Reimagining Downtown.” Officially hosted by the Downtown Seattle Association, the conference took place in Downtown with day trips to additional Seattle neighborhoods.

There was a total of 18 neighborhood tours, 47 breakout sessions, 8 facilitated forums, 27 networking events, and the IDA Marketplace with over 40 exhibitors to visit all throughout the week. Our key takeaways:

  1. Collaboration is key: We can’t do this work alone, so partnering with other organizations, governmental partners, and community, is key in getting the work done.
  2. We’re always learning: Our work is always evolving, so learning what others are doing and about new technologies is important.
  3. Connecting with the big picture: We can get so lost in our own work sometimes. The conference was an opportunity for us to take a step back and understand how our work connects to the “big picture.”

These are some of our favorite moments from the week:

Breakout Sessions: Topics ranged from economic development and organizational management to planning design and infrastructure to public space management.

Session highlight: Weaving Indigenous Culture into Our Downtown Evolution

Presenters: Donny Stevenson, Muckleshoot Tribal Councilmember | Muckleshoot Indian Tribe; Jordan Remington, Public Programs Manager | Curator of Indigenous Programs Friends of Waterfront Park; and Jose Leal, Landscape Architect | Native Nation Building Studio Director MIG. Inc.     

With a high indigenous population in Downtown Seattle, the session presented learnings from the people and organizations that have been intentionally and authentically integrating indigenous values, traditions, and languages in public spaces. Takeaways included the importance of authentic collaboration and real commitments to build tribal relationships, how to incorporate honest history and storytelling, and introduced the concept of “placekeeping” (versus “placemaking”) as a lens to shaping urban space. Placekeeping prioritizes the active care and maintenance of the ecological, historical, and cultural relationships of a space.

Conference presentation
Afternoon breakout session hosted by Gehl, on Inclusive Downtown Recovery rooted in the Public Realm

Rooftop happy hour at conference
Rooftop Happy Hour celebrating with our consultants Uncommon Bridges

Networking Opportunities: We had the opportunity to meet and network through lunches, a wellness series that included pickleball and yoga, and organized social outings.

Networking highlight: City Government Happy Hour Hosted by OED

This happy hour allowed us to meet with professionals from peer cities – like Calgary, Richmond, VA, and Portland, OR – to share knowledge and learnings.


Exploring Seattle Through Tours: Tours throughout the week showcased some of the neighborhoods that make Seattle unique. Visitors explored Ballard, the University District, West Seattle, and our neighbor to the east, Downtown Bellevue.

Tour highlight: Afternoon Port Tour

Tour hosts: SODO BIA, Ballard BIA, and Port of Seattle.

We enjoyed an afternoon cruise on an Argosy boat to explore Elliot Bay and the work of Port of Seattle, a buzzing hub for international trade and a launching point for countless Alaska cruises. The tour highlighted the area’s rich industrial history and the exciting revitalization efforts happening along the waterfront. We also learned about the ambitious plans for a sustainable port in the future. It was a fantastic way to appreciate Seattle’s maritime activity up close!

Smiling team members at conference
Team lunch break during the IDA conference

Looking Forward, What’s Next: We’re so inspired and energized by all the of the amazing and insightful conversations and engagements. We can’t wait to debrief with our teams about what we learned, continue building relationships, and learning from peers.

HUGE THANKS to the Downtown Seattle Association for hosting the conference, our neighborhood BIA partners for hosting the tours and breakout sessions, and Uncommon Bridges for hosting a wonderful networking happy hour, tour, and breakout sessions. Also, special thanks to our neighborhood partners for taking the time to attend the conference and take their learnings back to their communities.