Daily Journal of Commerce: Digital kiosks could be coming to Seattle’s streets

This article was originally published by the Daily Journal of Commerce on Oct. 24, 2024.

By Emma Lapworth, A/E Editor

Interactive digital kiosks are already a feature of the streetscape in cities such as New York and London, and come 2026 they might also be a fixture in Seattle.

The Downtown Seattle Association (DSA), in partnership with Ohio-based advertising company Orange Barrel Media, is currently proposing to install 30 touchscreen information and advertising kiosks in a series of yet-to-be finalized locations in the city’s downtown Metropolitan Improvement District (MID).

The partnership is also proposing to install up to 30 more kiosks in the MID and up to 20 kiosks in SoDo, Ballard, the University District and West Seattle Junction in a second phase of deployment.

The roughly rectangular-shaped, free-standing structures are called IKE (Interactive Kiosk Experience) Smart City kiosks. IKE Smart City kiosks can currently be found in 18 U.S. cities including Miami, Denver, Houston and Cincinnati.

DSA is primarily touting the project as a “free digital wayfinding program” that would help people navigate the city and direct them to nearby businesses and attractions. The kiosks could also be used to call emergency services, to promote local art, culture, community events and businesses, to make important public health and civic announcements and would provide free WiFi access. They would also display private advertisements and host a series of interactive applications including a ‘selfie’ app.

When not interacted with, the kiosks would display a rotating digital slide deck of eight slides. Over the course of a year, on average, a quarter of those daily slides would display public content.

Orange Barrel Media would own and operate the kiosks at no cost to the city or taxpayers. A portion of the ad revenue generated by the installations (estimated to total around $1.1 million per year) would be earmarked for the DSA, which the organization says would subsequently be re-invested into downtown. The city would also share in any additional revenue that exceeds an agreed-upon threshold.

The current proposed timeline for the project is to install the kiosks by summer 2026, ahead of the start of the FIFA Men’s 2026 World Cup events in the city. For that to happen, installation would need to start at the end of next year.

The effort hit somewhat of a roadblock last month after the Seattle Design Commission (SDC) decided not to recommend permit approval for the project. However, the decision on whether the project moves forward ultimately lies with the city council. Presentation documents from a SDC meeting in September suggest that the council could vote on the permit application early next year. The project team is seeking a 15-year permit for each deployment of the proposed project.

Mayor Bruce Harrell has previously expressed support for the kiosks. Representatives from his office told the SDC that the mayor strongly supports the proposed roll out as it is in line with his Downtown Activation Plan and would aid in the revitalization of the city post-pandemic.

The design commission voted five to four in favor of not recommending that the project move forward. Those voting no were concerned about the impact that the alternating private advertising might have on members of the public and residents and were not convinced that there was enough evidence of public benefit to warrant approval.

Seattle already has a wayfinding signage program, called Seamless Seattle. Wayfinding on the IKE kiosks would be designed to complement that existing signage, and the kiosks would not be placed in areas where that signage is already present.

If the kiosks are to be installed, downtown locations will likely include Fourth Avenue and Union Street, Seventh Avenue and Blanchard Street and Second Avenue and Vine. These locations, and others, have already been studied as potential sites for the kiosks. Proposed locations in the second deployment include Roosevelt Way Northeast and Northeast 47th Street in the University District and California Avenue Southwest and Southwest Alaska Street in West Seattle.

Ahead of a council vote on the project, the project team intends to continue public outreach, and this fall is planning some multi-day installations of kiosks in downtown locations. The public is also invited to take part in an online survey on the project: http://www.seattlekioskoutreach.com

The project team also includes landscape architecture firm Site Workshop.