David Downey

President and CEO, International Downtown Association

As President and Chief Executive Officer, David is responsible for the overall strategic positioning of IDA as a world leader and champion for vital and livable urban centers. Prior to joining the IDA, David served as the Managing Director for the American Institute of Architects’ Urban Design Center and as Executive Director for the Michigan Chapter of the American Planning Association. David has been a city advocate since 1980s having received his degree in Architecture and Design with a focus on Urban Design. He speaks frequently throughout North America and has delivered talks in the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Australia, Sweden, Denmark, El Salvador and Japan. David's recently media interviews have focused on the impacts of COVID-19 on downtowns and can be seen or heard on Bloomberg News, Wall Street Journal, CNN Business, New York Times, Roll Call, NPR and others media outlets.