Agenda

Opening Remarks

Catherine Wilson

Associate Director, State and Local Government Content

GovExec

More Money, More Opportunities: Federal Aid Management

Billions of federal dollars are flowing to cities across the nation, carrying the promise of generational change. Whether closing the digital divide, improving transit or creating affordable housing, the pressure is on leaders to allocate these funds to create the city of the future. How are they managing this influx of federal aid? And how are they overcoming challenges like inflation to ensure that more money means more opportunities?

Justin Bibb

Mayor

City of Cleveland, OH

Paige Cognetti

Mayor

City of Scranton, PA

Ron Nirenberg

Mayor & NewDEAL Leader

City of San Antonio

Emily Larson

Mayor

City of Duluth, MN

Bill Lucia

Executive Editor

Route Fifty

How-To: Budget for Equity

Where a city chooses to invest its funds largely shapes the futures of its residents. And when investments are not made with considerations for improving equity, pockets of a city can be left behind and deprived of economic and social growth. In this how-to segment, we speak to an expert on how to craft a budget that can help a city achieve equity.

Krystle Lindberg

Deputy Finance Director

City of Providence

Jennifer Park

Executive Director, Opportunity Accelerator

Results for America

Fast Forward: The Technology of the Future City is Here

Albert Shen

Senior Strategy Manager, Verizon Business - Public Sector

Verizon

Lunch Break

Visit the Resource Hub to explore exclusive content from our sponsors!

The Changing Tax & Revenue Landscape

Revenue collection is on the cusp of a major transformation. As people work differently and invest their money differently, how cities generate revenue must also shift if they are to continue to provide the basic services that residents depend on. Now is the time for cities to reassess their revenue streams and identify new and innovative sources in alignment with the societal shifts occurring. From remote workers to NFTs to alternative land use, cities have options for modernizing revenue streams. Relatedly, cities need to examine which parts of the underlying revenue technology infrastructure they need to modernize to allow them to keep pace with abrupt societal changes. In this discussion, city leaders will discuss how they are rethinking revenue and what technological support they need to seamlessly collect revenue and develop more real-time budget forecasts.

José Cisneros

Treasurer & NewDEAL Leader

City and County of San Francisco

Kian Kamas

Executive Director

Partner Tulsa

Rich Greene

Senior Advisor

Route Fifty

City Tech Spotlight

Front line responders put themselves at risk every day, and often without a full picture of the situation. The ability to survey the scene of a fire without putting a life on the line could bring about a new era in emergency response. GCN joins Future Cities to introduce one city’s use of drones to protect their residents — and their first responders.

Capt. Brian Geranen

UAS Coordinator

Phoenix Fire Department

Trending Now: City Power Dynamics

Major shifts are occurring in the city landscape. A range of factors like inflation, housing affordability, and changing climate conditions are seeing people move from cities like Los Angeles and New York to Austin and Nashville. If these conditions continue, questions arise of which cities will rise to the top in terms of influence, capital and environment. Will the historically largest cities be able to retain their status? How will rising cities use their newfound status to become attractive hubs for workers and travelers? In this interactive session, we will look at current and projected data trends to learn the power dynamics ahead for cities across the United States.

Lena Geraghty

Director of Sustainability and Innovation, Center for City Solutions

National League of Cities

Alisha Powell Gillis

Senior Editor

Route Fifty

Closing Remarks

Catherine Wilson

Associate Director, State and Local Government Content

GovExec

Opening Remarks

Catherine Wilson

Associate Director, State and Local Government Content

GovExec

Life in the Fast Lane?

American public transportation systems are set to see some of the biggest changes in recent memory due to the influx of infrastructure money. Projects to expand the range of rail lines, institute new rapid bus routes, and construct new tunnels for public transit are all on the to-do list. Unfortunately, many of these improvements are coming far behind the curve. How can cities innovate in the transit sector before they are forced to reckon with outdated vehicle fleets and crumbling subway tunnels? And what lies ahead in cost effective transit?

Lucinda Babers

Deputy Mayor for Operations

City of Washington D.C.

Zabe Bent

Director of Design

NACTO

Denise Riedl

Chief Innovation Officer

South Bend, Indiana

Dan Vock

Senior Reporter

Route Fifty

How-To: Public Safety

Public safety is one of the top issues facing city leaders. Whether safeguarding mass transit or reducing gun violence, communities expect their local governments to ensure their safety and security. Yet, the intense debate on how to create safer communities while also holding law enforcement accountable has resulted in limited progress and increased animosity on all sides. What does an innovative approach to public safety look like? And how can leaders start going beyond crime prevention to rebuilding community engagement?

Mary Lupien

Vice President, City Council

City of Rochester, NY

Lakeesha Eure

Director, Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery

City of Newark, NJ

Will Simpson

Director, Violence Reduction Initiatives

Equal Justice USA

Considering the Public Private Partnership

Jake Purcell

Director of Sales and Operations

Comcast

Lunch Break

Visit the Resource Hub to explore exclusive content from our sponsors!

Fixer Upper: Housing Affordability

Whether looking to rent or buy, the housing market continues to see record prices. Rent increases of 40% and steep competition when house hunting have left many people frustrated and overwhelmed. How are city leaders working to ensure their residents have access to quality, affordable housing? And what innovative solutions can be employed to create a more equitable housing market in the future?

Jamie R. Gauthier

Councilmember, 3rd District

City of Philadelphia

Sam Liccardo

Mayor & NewDEAL Leader

City of San José

Erin Mendenhall

Mayor & NewDEAL Leader

Salt Lake City

Mary Ellen Wiederwohl

President and CEO

Accelerator for America

City Tech Spotlight

With housing costs soaring, some cities are looking to 3D printing to cut costs and save time while providing quality homes. Is this a long-term solution? What types of partnerships are needed to lean into this technology? GCN joins Future Cities to explore how Virginia Housing’s efforts in Richmond could be a blueprint for 3D printing innovation.

Chris Thompson

Director of Strategic Housing

Virginia Housing

Featured Keynote

Eugenia Di Girolamo, the first Chief Urban Designer for the City and County of Denver, joins our program for a special keynote presentation on the role of urban design in the cities of the future.

Eugenia Di Girolamo

Chief Urban Designer

City and County of Denver

Closing Remarks

Catherine Wilson

Associate Director, State and Local Government Content

GovExec

Opening Remarks

Catherine Wilson

Associate Director, State and Local Government Content

GovExec

Weathering the Storm: Cities and Climate Change

Weather disasters continue to become more prominent as climate change threatens the planet. With the increasing frequency of heat waves, hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods, how can cities enhance their ability to withstand severe weather? What goals should they establish to address climate change? And how can local leadership embed an equity lens to climate goals so that marginalized groups are not facing the brunt of negative environmental impacts?

Kate Gallego

Mayor & NewDEAL Leader

City of Phoenix

Ken Welch

Mayor

City of St. Petersburg

Michael C. Morgan, Ph.D.

Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Ryan Coonerty

Third District Supervisor & NewDEAL Leader

Santa Cruz County

How-To: Combatting Mis- and Disinformation

Most of us think of cybersecurity as preventing ransomware or phishing attempts. But those are only the tip of the cyber threat iceberg. As technology evolves and matures, more sinister threats such as misinformation and disinformation are on the horizon. How can cities improve media literacy so that residents don’t fall prey to malicious content or actors? What work can be done with technology companies to reduce misleading information? And how can city leaders leverage technology to foster meaningful community engagement — while keeping animosity and toxic discourse at bay?

Shannon C. McGregor, PhD

Assistant Professor, Hussman School of Journalism and Media & Senior Researcher, Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life

University of North Carolina

Todd Helmus

Senior Behavioral Scientist; RAND Corporation Affiliate Faculty

RAND Corporation; Pardee RAND Graduate School

Alisha Powell Gillis

Senior Editor

Route Fifty

Driving Outcomes Through Data Driven Decision Making

Jayson Dunn

Former CIO

City of Cinncinnati

Lunch Break

Visit the Resource Hub to explore exclusive content from our sponsors!

Digitizing Government: Improving Trust and Functionality

Trust in all levels of government is eroding. While local governments have always enjoyed higher levels of trust from their residents, fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic is threatening to undermine the trust in government institutions. Additionally, gridlock and animosity between levels of government are hurting the image of government. If current conditions continue, government could be seen as a hindrance to progress — and out of touch with needs and expectations — which could render it obsolete in the minds of residents. How can city governments reverse course and restore their image? In this session, we will explore how embracing digital government services can help local governments become more agile, faster, and relevant. We will also explore what government structures and regulations need to change to enable leaders to more efficiently adopt user-friendly technology in their cities.

Brigitte Blanton

Director

Greensboro Public Library

Rochelle Haynes

Managing Director

What Works Cities

Brooks Rainwater

President and CEO

Urban Libraries Council

City Tech Spotlight

Reimagining the use of a city street can be costly and at times highly complicated. How can the cities of tomorrow focus on people centered design without draining resources? GCN joins Future Cities to feature an artist who may hold the key to changing the way we think about city planning.

Zach Katz

Artist and People-Oriented Urban Design Advocate

Better Streets AI and TransformYour.City

Creating a Future City Now

Mayor John Bauters discusses his efforts to make his city of Emeryville a people-oriented city.

John Bauters

Mayor

City of Emeryville, CA

Alisha Powell Gillis

Senior Editor

Route Fifty

Closing Remarks

Catherine Wilson

Associate Director, State and Local Government Content

GovExec