Seattle leaders visit San Francisco to learn lessons on economic recovery, public safety

As a cable car moves down California Street, a cleaning crew is picking up trash and power-washing the sidewalk, while others work feverishly to install fresh lights. It's a new day in San Francisco and the kind that makes Seattle city leaders envious. After all, both cities were hurt at the start of the pandemic. Tech companies allowed employees to work from home, and the streets were overrun with tents and open-air drug use. RELATED | How did San Francisco reduce homelessness and overdoses while Seattle struggled? San Francisco has taken steps that have reversed those trends. Companies are moving back, and investors are now betting on the city again. "While we've seen a lot of momentum in office spaces filling up, a lot of that is driven by AI companies and startups. We still have challenges with ground floor vacancy," acknowledges Robbie Silver, the president of the Downtown San Francisco Partnership, as he stood on California Street.

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