Coming Together: Reimagining America’s Downtowns explores the lessons learned and opportunities embraced in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. After a period of adapting and reshaping, cities across the country are coming to terms with lasting changes in work, housing, mobility, entertainment, and recreation.
Across America, mayors, employers, institutions, and communities are partnering to generate strategies to improve urban spaces for everyone. By coming together, we can reimagine the way we live, work, play, eat, worship, learn, and heal within our downtowns. A new chapter in the history of the American city lies ahead.
Through case studies, data infographics, large-scale video, digital interactives, and voting activities, the exhibition offers a multimedia exploration into how bright the future of American downtowns can be if we continue coming together.
Coming Together is the first of three major exhibitions planned, for the Museum’s Future Cities initiative, a multi-year, interdisciplinary initiative that explores the city as a hub, catalyst, essential building block and reflection of society.
Building Together
Monday, October 26–Friday, November 20
What kind of city would you build?
Imagine, design, and build a city together in the Museum’s City Action Hall. Using LEGO® bricks, visitors can add buildings, streets, parks, public spaces, and their own ideas to an evolving cityscape that grows and changes with every contribution.
Prompts throughout the space encourage visitors to think about the choices that shape our cities: What makes a neighborhood welcoming? Where should people live, work, gather, and play? What does a city need to serve the people who call it home? And what happens as new people, places, and ideas are added?
Inspired by ideas explored in Coming Together, Building Together turns city-making into a shared, intergenerational experience. Each contribution becomes part of something larger, inviting visitors to consider how the choices we make together shape the places we share.
Coming Together Photo Credit: Elman Studio
Coming Together Photo Credit: Elman Studio
Coming Together Photo Credit: Elman Studio
A special feature of this exhibition is the City Action Hall, a collaboration space where organizations committed to improving neighborhoods and cities can meet, strategize, and take action. The City Action Hall connects inspiration with real-world planning. Join the Museum in improving cities by hosting your next meeting in this dynamic space. Please see below for more details about the hall and how to apply. To learn about Museum events hosted within the City Action Hall, please visit nbm.org/events/.
What is the City Action Hall?
Hold your next meeting at the National Building Museum
Provide an unforgettable meeting, conference, or strategy session at the Museum for your organization! The City Action Hall at the National Building Museum is a collaboration space where organizations committed to improving cities can meet, strategize, and take action.
Located within the Coming Together exhibition, which explores the pandemic's impact on America’s downtowns, the Hall connects inspiration with real-world planning. The space includes flexible seating, AV capabilities, and a pin-up board where groups can share their outcomes, fostering a growing record of urban innovation.
When is it available?
City Action Hall reservations are 2-3 hours long and can accommodate a maximum of 50 guests. There is one morning (10am to 12pm) and one afternoon (1pm to 4pm) slot available on select Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. The group does not need to use the space for the full time and special accommodation can be made upon request for extended days and times. Reservations are open by application to any organization committed to improving urban areas.
What features does the room include?
The furniture in the City Action Hall is highly modular and can be configured for theatre style events, roundtable discussions, and small group conversations. The room can seat up to 50 attendees in theatre style and up to 20 attendees around a single table. Attendees are responsible for their own furniture arrangements. Possible configurations are provided in the registration email.
The City Action Hall also includes a large pin-up board for groups to share key takeaways and action items from their meetings. We request groups submit one poster highlighting their contributions related to revitalizing downtowns to add to this timely national conversation. Poster submission guidelines will be sent to the organizer once their application has been approved.
How do I reserve it?
Application: Submit your application through the online portal here.
Confirmation: If your application is approved, you will receive a confirmation email from the National Building Museum with important know-before-you-go information.
Meeting: At the time of the meeting, groups will check in at the museum Visitor Center on the ground floor to collect their wrist bands. Groups may proceed to the Coming Together exhibition on the second floor, where they will be greeted by a Visitor Services Representative to grant access to the City Action Hall.
Are there any guidelines?
There is no food and drink allowed in the City Action Hall.
If left in poor condition after the event, there will be a cleaning fee applied.
Attendees are responsible for their own furniture arrangements.
Building Together
Building Together
Monday, October 26–Friday, November 20
What kind of city would you build?
Imagine, design, and build a city together in the Museum’s City Action Hall. Using LEGO® bricks, visitors can add buildings, streets, parks, public spaces, and their own ideas to an evolving cityscape that grows and changes with every contribution.
Prompts throughout the space encourage visitors to think about the choices that shape our cities: What makes a neighborhood welcoming? Where should people live, work, gather, and play? What does a city need to serve the people who call it home? And what happens as new people, places, and ideas are added?
Inspired by ideas explored in Coming Together, Building Together turns city-making into a shared, intergenerational experience. Each contribution becomes part of something larger, inviting visitors to consider how the choices we make together shape the places we share.
