SALT LAKE CITY — 2025 may not have been quite as transformative for Salt Lake City as the previous year, but it wasn’t a quiet one either, as Utah’s capital city continues to grow.
A lot of major themes of the past few years — from housing to other growing pains — culminated in 2025, but this year may have been more “responsive” than anything because of the expected and unforeseen hurdles that emerged throughout the year, said Salt Lake City Council Chairman Chris Wharton.
“We weren’t just knee-jerk reacting; we had to react quickly, but we had to do it in a way that was also thoughtful,” he told KSL, as he described 2025’s various challenges.
Addressing 2025’s challenges
Even before 2025 began, Utah leaders called on Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall to develop a public safety plan to address concerns about crime and homelessness. That document, unveiled in January, set the city’s policing tone throughout the year, including at the top. Brian Redd, Utah’s former corrections department director, was sworn in as the city’s new police chief in March…