City Council Greenlights DSA’s Installation of IKE Digital Kiosks in Downtown

The Seattle City Council on June 24 approved the installation of IKE Smart City digital kiosks throughout downtown, paving the way for a new, modern platform to improve wayfinding, promote small businesses and enhance the visitor experience — all at no cost to the city.

The program will begin with 30 kiosks downtown, with additional installations planned for SoDo, Ballard, West Seattle and the University District as part of a future, second rollout. The first kiosks are expected to be in the ground within the next year, in time to welcome the 750,000 visitors projected for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“We’re excited City Council has taken this important step forward for downtown,” DSA President & CEO Jon Scholes said. “These kiosks will help people navigate the city, discover local businesses and stay connected, all while generating revenue to support cleaning, beautification and events in downtown. This is a smart, zero-cost solution that benefits everyone who lives, works and visits downtown.

“A sincere thank you to Council President Sara Nelson for her leadership and unwavering support in advancing this legislation. Her guidance from the very beginning was instrumental in bringing this to the finish line.”

IKE — interactive kiosk experience — kiosks are already in use in more than 20 cities across the country. Each unit offers a suite of features aimed at improving access to information and resources for residents and visitors alike. In Seattle, the kiosks will provide:

• Real-time transit information and multimodal wayfinding
• Wi-Fi at each kiosk
• Listings for nearby businesses, at no cost to the businesses 
• A digital art program curated in partnership with local artists and institutions
• Event promotion and cultural programming
• Emergency call buttons and real-time alerts for safety or service disruptions

“This is a win for Seattle,” Nelson said. “These kiosks represent a near-term opportunity to enhance the pedestrian experience, improve public safety communications and support downtown’s economic and cultural revitalization, in addition to multiple public benefits including free Wi-Fi and multilingual wayfinding.”

In addition to providing these public benefits, the touchscreens will generate advertising revenue, which will directly fund enhanced DSA/MID services. These services include cleaning, beautification and events that support the ongoing revitalization of downtown.

DSA thanks all of its members and MID ratepayers who shared their support with the City Council and looks forward to bringing this new amenity to the center city.