Carol Coletta, President and CEO of CEOs for Cities, will speak about the vital role of culture in creating a vibrant, dynamic Center City at an event to be held on October 3 and hosted by Mayor Greg Nickels, DPD and the Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs.

Carol Coletta has pioneered work in improving cities for 30 years. Previously, she was president of Coletta & Company, as well as executive director of the Mayors' Institute on City Design, a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, U.S. Conference of Mayors and American Architectural Foundation. She is the host and producer of the award-winning, nationally syndicated public radio program "Smart City," which showcases her provocative interviews with some of the world's smartest thinkers on opportunities for cities.

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. “We are transforming our Center City with new housing, new jobs and new open space,” Nickels said. “Cultural and creative elements play an important role in building a sense of place. This is a great opportunity to talk about how Seattle's cultural center affects economic and community development.” For a more detailed overview of the Center City strategy, read our Center City Seattle brochure.

Previous presentations have featured: Gordon Price, former Vancouver, B.C. City Councilor, on urban growth in Vancouver, B.C.; Bruce Katz, Brookings Institute, on the economic benefits of a strong Center City; David Dixon, Boston architect/urban designer, on the necessity for diverse urban neighborhoods in the Center City; Dr. Richard Jackson, California's Public Health Officer, on the health benefits of dense, urban development; and Jan Gehl, Danish architect, urban designer, professor and author, on the importance of developing streetscapes and open spaces that create an inviting, vibrant urban environment.