Future Friday: Cities as a Nexus of Mobility

Gain valuable insights into the future of urban mobility and transportation innovation. This program will explore how cities can integrate emerging mobility solutions, enhance public transit, and design people-centered streets. From high-speed rail to micromobility, learn how cities can improve connectivity and reduce congestion. Hosted by James Darius Ball, director of Future Cities, this one-hour event will provide forward-thinking strategies for advancing urban mobility in cities across America. 

Dose of Optimism  

Quinton Lucas, Mayor of Kansas City, MO 

Born and raised in Kansas City’s inner city, Quinton Lucas serves as the 55th mayor of Kansas City, the youngest person elected to the role since 1855.  

As Mayor, he has built opportunity for Kansas Citians from all neighborhoods and at all income levels, including the adoption of one of the first zero-fare transit initiatives, which maintains fare free public transit for passengers on bus and rail transit citywide, putting hundreds of dollars back in passengers’ pockets. Experiencing homelessness in his youth, Mayor Lucas created the City’s first Housing Trust Fund, developing thousands of units of housing attainable for Kansas Citians at a time of rising housing and rent costs. 

Known as “Mayor Q” by many, he and his wife, Katherine, are the proud parents of two children.  Mayor Lucas started his educational journey in the public schools of Hutchinson, Kansas, and graduated from The Barstow School in Kansas City.  He obtained his college and law degrees from Washington University and Cornell University.   

Panelist #1: Steven Segerlin, Head of Commercial Development at Amtrak 

Steven Segerlin is a city planner and real estate developer specializing in design and financing strategies for large, complex, mixed-use projects and portfolios. He is a licensed urban planner & transport planner and holds a B.S. in BuildingScience (Real Estate Development) and M.B.A. with concentration in finance from Auburn University. 

Steven’s projects support state and local governments and transit authorities to create inclusive, connected, livable cities that are financially & environmentally sustainable. This includes the design and delivery of real estate development programs focused on economic development and housing production/affordability, urban revitalization, urban infill and densification, entertainment, placemaking and amenities, historic preservation, and transit-oriented development (TOD). 

His client experience includes real estate developers, local governments in the United States & worldwide, Federal Transit & Railroad Administrations, and the World Bank. For these clients, Steven prepared land use, transport, and real estate development plans to guide the smart growth of large cities from New York and Seattle to Bogota and Paris.  

Panelist #2: William Chernicoff, Senior Manager Global Research and Innovation at Toyota Mobility Foundation  

William Chernicoff started with Toyota Motor North America in January 2009 and leads efforts in technology policy and communication. His work includes analyzing sustainability, climate change, and energy impacts of technology development and deployment coupled with energy and environmental policy on Toyota’s North American vehicle and technology mix. Externally, he currently serves on the boards of the Carnegie Mellon Center for Climate and Energy Decision Making, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business Open Innovation Advisory Board, and ASPIRE Center – U. Pitt DOT-University Transportation Center. 

Prior to joining Toyota, Chernicoff served as the hydrogen and alternative fuel program manager in US DOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration. His work focused on hydrogen and alternative fuel technology safety, development, demonstration, deployment, and climate change mitigation. 

Chernicoff holds a Bachelor of Science in materials science and engineering from M.I.T., a Master of Science in manufacturing engineering from Boston University, and a doctorate in systems engineering and engineering management from George Washington University. 

About Future Fridays 

Future Fridays is the first online event series of the National Building Museum’s Future Cities initiative, bringing together leading experts and practitioners to explore innovative ideas for building vibrant, resilient cities. Hosted by James Darius Ball, director of Future Cities, each virtual session focuses on different aspects of urban development and growth. This national program aims to address the key challenges shaping the future of urban environments. Held the first Friday of each month via Zoom, these one-hour events are designed to inspire and energize with actionable insights, helping to create a more prosperous future for cities that serve all Americans. By creating a space for collaborative idea-sharing, each session seeks to generate real-world solutions to urban challenges. 

This Program is part of the National Building Museum’s Future Cities Initiative. A special thank you to our sponsors AARP and Rooted Communities.