San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lowery: We are a city on the rise

I met for the first time San Francisco’s new mayor, Daniel Lowery, about five minutes before we hit the stage at WIRED’s big interview event held in his city last week.

Tim Lowry let me know in advance that his window for this conversation was tight: He had just come from announcing a new city police chief and had about half an hour before he moved on to the next thing. which was “I don’t know,” quipped Lowry, who, judging by the boisterous reactions to every word Lowry said, was among the 73 percent of San Franciscans who approve of his job since taking office in January of this year.

To Laurie’s credit, San Francisco’s story right now is largely a positive one. The city is undoubtedly the global center of AI innovation and the billions that come with it, with companies like Anthropic and OpenAI, along with smaller startups, investors, and a large number of young AI-focused technologists all calling San Francisco home. Yes, that means rents are up and housing inventory is precariously low. But office vacancy rates are falling, retail stores are returning downtown, and as Lowry’s office is quick to point out, several key measures of municipal crime — including homicides and car thefts — are at historic lows.

I wanted to talk to Lowry about all of this, but I was also curious about the bigger picture: his administration’s dynamic with the federal government, particularly in the context of President Trump’s plan in October to send the National Guard to San Francisco — an effort that, according to the New York Times, Lowry managed to thwart by enlisting a powerful group of cell phones in favor of phone executives.

Lowry wasn’t exactly there because of his diligent efforts to focus the conversation in San Francisco and perhaps avoid the attention or ire of the current administration. That’s a different approach than other Democrats who have dominated progressive parts of the country, from New York City Mayor-elect Zahran Mamdani to California Gov. Gavin Newsom. But if the response in the room last week was any indication, Lowry’s local fans don’t seem to mind his “say less” strategy — at least for now.