Op-ed: Reset Seattle's economy for the shared prosperity of all

The Seattle region is on the verge of a major shift. As King County’s COVID-19 vaccination rate climbs above 70%, businesses are reopening, workers are returning to the office and life is inching back toward normal.

The sense of relief is palpable. Before we fully exhale, however, we must take a moment to reflect on the persistent inequities that led to higher case rates, hospitalizations and deaths among local Black, Indigenous and people of color communities. The events of the past 15 months have shown us that disparities surrounding race, gender and geography don’t just affect certain groups — they threaten our economy, undermine our democracy and tear at the fabric that holds our communities together.

The coming weeks and months present a once-in-a-generation opportunity to revisit our region’s values and priorities, to collaborate on a vision of the “normal” we want to achieve moving forward. Shared prosperity — the idea that we all do better when we all do better — must be central to the way Greater Seattle charts its path to recovery.

Read the rest of the op-ed by Civic Architect Michael Brown in The Seattle Times.