Nationally respected urban studies scholar Bruce Katz of the Brookings Institution will join Mayor Nickels at a Sept. 20 open house to speak about metropolitan competitiveness and the critical role the urban center plays in developing thriving, competitive regions.

This event is part of Mayor Nickels' "Center City Seattle" project, a strategy for Seattle's downtown core, and the nine centrally located neighborhoods immediately surrounding it, that focuses on economic growth, transportation, new housing, and great urban neighborhoods (see event details at right). For a more detailed overview of the strategy, read our Center City Seattle brochure.

In terms of geography, jobs and density, Center City represents the core of the region. By 2024 it is projected that this area will produce 57,000 new jobs and over 24,000 new housing units.

Major changes affecting Center City include the replacement of the viaduct, the redevelopment of the central waterfront, light rail, the monorail, the Westlake streetcar, new and improved parks, biotech development, and new mixed use development.

This fall Mayor Nickels will be proposing changes to the height and density requirements for the office core and the Denny Triangle neighborhood to spur job growth and new housing.

Future Center City Seattle events being planned include William Hudnut, former mayor of Indianapolis, on vital urban centers on Sept. 14, and David Dixon, urban designer, on Center City growth and density on Nov. 15.