Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell on Tuesday delivered his State of the City address, emphasizing the strides being made in public safety, increased resources for tackling drug use, and more spending on housing and homelessness — all issues that polls show are priorities with Seattle’s residents and businesses.
But while Harrell spoke at the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI), located in the city’s tech sector hub, the mayor omitted any direct mention of the role of tech in Seattle’s economy. He did highlight Seattle’s ongoing support for small businesses and the revitalization of the downtown corridor.
The number of workers returning each day to downtown is roughly 80,000 people — about half the count from before the pandemic, but up 13% year-over-year, according to the Downtown Seattle Association. Tourist figures have fared better, with nearly 3.2 million visitors in July 2023 — just slightly below the number tallied in July 2019.
In his annual speech last year, Harrell specifically called out Amazon’s back-to-office policy as a boost for downtown’s viability.
This year, Harrell didn’t make mention of tech companies. But he did spend several minutes touting landmark policies targeting carbon reductions. That includes rules approved in December requiring roughly 4,100 existing buildings of more than 20,000 square feet to slash their greenhouse gas emissions to zero by mid century.
“I am already hearing from mayors in other cities who are looking to that legislation as they build their own models to tackle this crisis. [It’s] one of many ways Seattle continues to be a national and global climate leader,” Harrell said, according to a draft of his speech.
Also on the climate front he called out a pilot project incentivizing the use of electric freight trucks and rules phasing out the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. He looked ahead to coming initiatives.
“This year, we’re bringing a renewed focus to decarbonizing residential homes across the city — creating a healthier living space and a healthier environment for all of us,” Harrell said.
That will include steps working toward a 2030 goal of transitioning Seattle homes off of heating oil and on to energy-efficient heat pumps. The city will also be offering new rebates and no-cost conversions to help households purchase electric appliances, heat pump water heaters, and electric induction stoves.
