Urban leaders from 10 countries and 46 U.S. states gathered in downtown Seattle earlier this month for the International Downtown Association annual conference, discussing a wide range of economic and place-based issues. With a number of experts in town, we invited MJB Consulting founder and President Michael Berne to talk shop on the podcast. Michael is one of the nation’s foremost retail authorities and the perfect guest to dig into this critical sector. Jon and Michael talk about the opportunities and challenges for downtown Seattle’s retail core; the national trends he’s seeing in the industry; the return of PCC Community Market to downtown; the move toward “retail-tainment” and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Michael Berne.