DSA Launches First Ike Kiosks in Downtown Seattle

SEATTLE, June 9, 2026 — The Downtown Seattle Association, in partnership with the city of Seattle and Orange Barrel Media, officially launched the first IKE Smart City digital kiosk in downtown Seattle on Tuesday, June 9 at First Avenue and Pike Street. These innovative digital platforms are designed to enhance the public realm, improve wayfinding and connect people to everything downtown has to offer. 

IKE (Interactive Kiosk Experience) is a network of large-format, ADA-compliant touchscreen digital kiosks installed in highly visible (to pedestrians, transit riders and drivers) areas of downtown. They serve as a centralized hub for real-time information and navigation, and they are already in more than 25 cities nationwide. 

A network of 50 kiosks throughout Seattle will be deployed in two phases: 30 in the downtown MID footprint, then 20 in participating business-improvement districts, including in Ballard, SoDo, University District and West Seattle. The first four downtown kiosks will be located at: 

• First Avenue & Pike Street (installed prior to World Cup)

• Fourth Avenue & Pine Street (installed prior to World Cup)

• Second Avenue & Stewart Street 

• Third Avenue & Virginia Street 

Each state-of-the-art unit offers a suite of public benefits at no cost to the city or DSA, sustained entirely through advertising revenue.  

“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,” DSA President & CEO Jon Scholes said. “This is a smart, zero-cost solution that benefits everyone who lives, works and visits downtown.” 

Public Benefits of IKE Smart City Kiosks 

Each IKE kiosk delivers a broad range of community benefits, including: 

• Real-time, multimodal wayfinding: Integrated with the Seamless Seattle program to provide transit routes and navigation directly from each kiosk location. 

• Complimentary public Wi-Fi: Every kiosk serves as a Wi-Fi hotspot for all, including those without data plans. 

• Local business support: Nearby businesses and organizations are automatically listed on kiosks at no cost. 

• Promotion of city programs: At least 25% of annual screen time is reserved for non-commercial, public interest content promoting events, nonprofits and civic initiatives. 

• Public safety features: Each kiosk is equipped with a 911 emergency call button 

• Digital public art: An ongoing art program curated in partnership with local and national artists, curators and institutions. 

• Equitable access: Provides real-time transit info, nearby shelter options, job boards, and civic tools (AlertSeattle, Find It, Fix It) for those without personal devices. 

• Revenue for downtown: DSA anticipates approximately $1.1 million per year in shared advertising revenue to be reinvested into downtown programming. 

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About the Downtown Seattle Association

Established in 1958, the Downtown Seattle Association is a nonprofit membership organization whose mission is to create a healthy, vibrant downtown for all. By advocating on issues including transportation, economic development and the urban experience, DSA works to ensure that downtown remains a great place to live, work, shop and play for all. DSA also manages the Metropolitan Improvement District, a business-improvement area spanning 300 square blocks downtown.