Reflecting on historic progress made over the last three years, Mayor Harrell outlines key priorities for the year ahead
Seattle – Today, Mayor Bruce Harrell delivered the 2025 State of the City. Speaking at Benaroya Hall, Mayor Harrell detailed his administration’s accomplishments over the last three years as well as his priorities for the year ahead.
“When I gave my first State of the City speech three years ago, our parks were crowded with tents, crime had hit new highs, Downtown was silent, and Seattle felt gloomier than even the grayest winter day,” said Mayor Harrell. “But day by day, we have worked together as One Seattle to get our city back on the right track – restoring our parks and public spaces, reducing the crime rate, hiring more police officers and adding diversified response, and getting Downtown bustling again. Seattle is on the rise, and while we’ve made significant progress, we will not be complacent or accept the status quo. We will always seek new heights, new firsts, and new innovations with the same soul but a renewed spirit to make progress on our toughest challenges and build a better future for everyone who calls our city home.”
READ: Mayor Harrell’s State of the City Remarks as Prepared
WATCH: Mayor Harrell Delivers 2025 State of the City Address
The Statistics of the State of the City 2025:
- For the first time in half a decade, the City hired more police officers than it lost and had 4,300 applications to join SPD, the most since 2013 and more than double those received in 2023. In January, SPD hired 19 new officers, compared to 6 hired during that same period in 2024.
- In the 5 months since the Downtown Activation Team (DAT) pilot launched, priority 1 calls are down over 50% and EMS dispatches are down 15%. Violent crime is down 14% across downtown with a projected 20% decrease along 3rd Avenue in the Pike Pine Core.
- Since launching, the CARE department has responded to over 1,400 calls for service and is staffed with 24 behavioral health responders to help people in their moment of need.
- With new investments in detox beds, an overdose response team, and a first-in-the-nation pilot to equip first responders with buprenorphine, fatal overdoses fell by 25.1% in Seattle in 2024, outpacing King County.
- The Unified Care Team’s verified tent count fell to its lowest number since Mayor Harrell took office, with a 58% decrease in tents from 2023 to 2024, and a nearly 80% decrease since 2022. The number of RVs at encampments fell 35% from 2023, reflecting a more than 50% decrease from 2022. 1,800 individuals accept shelter referrals in 2024, bringing people living unsheltered indoors and connecting them to the supportive services.
- Record investments over the last three years have helped create 5,161 units of affordable housing, including nearly 1,500 units of permanent supportive housing for neighbors in need.
- The downtown design review exemption has shaved 500 to 700 days off of production, supporting the development of new housing downtown.
- Last year, Seattle Center welcomed 10.5 million visitors and is poised to be a rich civic hub as the 2026 FIFA World Cup Fan Zone.
- The nationally recognized Seattle Preschool Program serves 2,500 kids in 98 classrooms across Seattle, providing high-quality and affordable early learning opportunities.
The Major Announcements of the State of the City 2025:
- Federal Response: Under Mayor Harrell, Seattle will stand up for its people, rights, and values. The mayor is collaborating with state and local government partners to provide a coordinated, appropriate, and rapid response to federal actions. The mayor issued a mayoral directive making clear that SPD and City employees will follow state and local law, serving all residents, no matter their immigration status; and the City recently joined a lawsuit over the unlawful withholding of federal funds.
- Expediting light rail expansion: Mayor Harrell will issue an Executive Order this week to support faster delivery of light rail expansion to West Seattle and Ballard. The mayor will propose legislation that could speed up delivery by more than a year and the City will create the Office of Waterfront, Civic Projects & Sound Transit, which will orchestrate up to 50 staff in supporting project design and engineering, station area planning, and more.
- Stratified Policing Initiative: Under the leadership of Chief Shon Barnes, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) will implement the stratified policing initiative – a new evidence-based approach to crime and disorder with immediate, short-term, and long-term strategies.
- Citywide CARE expansion: Created by Mayor Harrell in 2023 as the City’s third public safety department along with police and fire, the Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) department will complete the citywide expansion of their crisis care responder team to the South End and West Seattle this spring.
- Helping small businesses: To make it easier and more affordable to operate a small business in Seattle, Mayor Harrell will advance a suite of actions, including reopening the popular Storefront Repair Fund and launching a new innovative marketing campaign.
- Pike Place Walkability: Mayor Harrell is bringing together City departments, Market leadership, and other stakeholders to improve the pedestrian experience and significantly reduce vehicle traffic at Pike Place Market, while including considerations for merchant unloading/loading, deliveries, and ADA access for seniors and people with disabilities.
- Bringing more people indoors: Using new investments in the City’s 2025-2026 budget and building on the strong work of the Unified Care Team to connect people experiencing homelessness with shelter and services, the City will open additional non-congregate shelter this year.
- Building housing faster and streamlining permitting: Mayor Harrell will issue an Executive Order on permitting and customer service to create more accountability, consistency, and transparency, forming the new Permitting and Customer Service Team (PACT), a first step in creating an Executive Office to identify and solve bottlenecks. The mayor will also transmit new legislation to streamline the design review process for new developments, reducing timelines by up to 50% and making it easier to build housing.
- Renewing Seattle’s Families, Education, Preschool and Promise Levy: With a focus on expanding childcare, next month, Mayor Harrell will share details of his proposal for this critical levy, including investments in pre-school, youth violence prevention, mental health support, and after-school and summer programming.
- Accelerating climate resiliency efforts: Next month, Mayor Harrell will issue a new Executive Order to update the City’s 2013 Climate Action Plan with a focus on reducing emissions, growing the green economy, and building community resilience to climate change.
- Fort Lawton Plan: Much of Seattle’s application for the Fort Lawton Redevelopment Plan was approved by the federal government last month, the project’s most significant development in years. Mayor Harrell will submit the updated plan to the City Council to keep this once-in-a-generation opportunity to expand affordable housing and greenspace moving forward.
- Breaking ground on Memorial Stadium: With a new partnership between the City, Seattle Public Schools, One Roof, and philanthropists, Memorial Stadium will break ground this summer to build the next world-class sporting and entertainment venue in the city.
- Redefining Aurora Avenue: Mayor Harrell announced theNorthern Lights Project to redefine Aurora Avenue North with community feedback through optimization of zoning, existing assets, state resources, and the built environment.
- 2026 FIFA World Cup: Mayor Harrell has directed City staff to stand up a World Cup Action Group across departments to prepare for the games and collaborate on public safety, transportation, permitting, and community activation.
- One Seattle Day of Service: The One Seattle Day of Service will be held on Saturday, July 12, bringing together thousands of neighbors and community groups to beautify and prepare our city just under one year from the World Cup.
The mayor was joined by a performance by the Garfield High School Band and Drumline, including members who will attend the prestigious Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival later this year, and ended with a traditional lion dance from the Mak Fai Kung Fu Dragon & Lion Dance Association to celebrate prosperity in the new year.
