Cleveland's Mayor, Seattle's Future: What happens when a city's economy shifts episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 13, 2026 · 18 MIN

Cleveland's Mayor, Seattle's Future: What happens when a city's economy shifts

from GeekWire · host GeekWire

GeekWire brought Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and Seattle tech veteran Charles Fitzgerald together on the phone Thursday after a guest column warning Seattle not to repeat Cleveland's past mistakes sparked a big response — including from Bibb himself. What followed was a constructive conversation about what cities should do when the economic ground shifts beneath them. Plus: a Seattle-to-Cleveland trip may be in the works. Related Links A warning to Seattle: Don’t become the next ClevelandCleveland mayor responds to GeekWire guest column, calls Ohio city a ‘case study of what’s possible’ Mayor Bibb on LinkedIn: "For decades, national narratives have framed Cleveland as a cautionary tale. But that framing misses the bigger story." Note: This is a special bonus episode. Our regular weekly show, recorded live Thursday night in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood, will be out Saturday morning.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Cleveland's Mayor, Seattle's Future: What happens when a city's economy shifts

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This episode was published on February 13, 2026.

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GeekWire brought Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and Seattle tech veteran Charles Fitzgerald together on the phone Thursday after a guest column warning Seattle not to repeat Cleveland's past mistakes sparked a big response — including from Bibb...

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