SALT LAKE CITY, UT — Downtown Salt Lake City has been named one of the ten “stickiest” downtowns in the United States in City Pulse 2026: The Magnetic City, a new global study from the Gensler Research Institute. The report surveyed more than 35,000 residents across 133 business districts in 75 cities worldwide, making it the largest study of urban experience ever conducted.
Salt Lake City ranks ninth nationally on Gensler’s Stickiness Score™, which is a combined measure of how often residents visit their downtown and how long they stay when they do. The ranking places Salt Lake City alongside Detroit, Washington D.C., Boston, Seattle, Newark, Chicago, San Francisco, Raleigh, and Kansas City as the U.S. downtowns where residents are most likely to invest their time.
“Salt Lake City’s downtown is doing a lot right, and this independent global research confirms it,” said Dee Brewer, Executive Director of the Downtown Alliance. “Our residents are choosing to spend time downtown. They’re enjoying and investing in this place. It’s the result of years of work by businesses, civic leaders, the city, the county, and the community.”
What the Research Found
Brewer also points to areas where Salt Lake City can grow. Gensler’s study identifies a global ‘Perception-Behavior Gap,’ the gap between residents who say their downtown is great and those who actually visit regularly. Salt Lake City performs in the middle of the global pack on this measure. Residents like their downtown, but Gensler’s data points to specific areas where the experience can be strengthened: feeling welcoming to all residents, building a stronger sense of place, and creating compelling reasons to linger after the workday ends.
“Being recognized among the country’s top ten downtowns is meaningful, and we don’t take it for granted,” Brewer said. “We’re going to keep doing the work that earned us this recognition — and the work that will move Salt Lake City higher.”
ABOUT
The Downtown Alliance is a business improvement district in downtown Salt Lake City dedicated to building a dynamic and diverse community that is the regional center for culture, commerce, and entertainment. The Alliance was established by downtown property owners in 1991.
