Cities are the nurseries of civilization.
-Plato
The National Building Museum is on a journey to explore the vibrant life of American cities. Through the Future Cities initiative we will tell the stories that shape us, challenge us and empower us to reimagine our shared urban future. This multi-year initiative will integrate exhibitions, public programs, industry events and community activations to position the National Building Museum at the center of the national conversation around the transformation of our urban homes.
We welcome you to join us as we unfold the story of our evolving cities. There is something for everyone in Future Cities and we are committed to bringing all perspectives and voices to this critical work.
How do our cities define us today?
Through Future Cities we will explore the key issues that are shaping the design and construction of our built world. Cities are centerstage to the action around these interwoven themes and we will thread them together through the experiences we bring to you all through this evolving initiative. The Future Cities initiative aligns our exhibitions, programs, and activations to amplify an inspiring story of our shared urban future.
Our Future Cities journey begins in the heart of cities—downtown, where the pandemic has restructured how we live, work and play.
By combining an exhibition with a community activation and themed programs, the museum will bring together a symphony of siloed successes revitalizing main street America.
What do you wish you could do in your downtown?
Coming Together
As part of The National Building Museum’s Future Cities Initiative, Coming Together explores how American cities are reimagining and reshaping their downtown districts in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pandemic generated profound and lasting changes in work, housing, mobility, entertainment, and recreation. These factors have informed new spatial behavior patterns in American city life, including the “Work From Home” revolution. Today, with high vacancies in office buildings, housing shortages, and vacant storefronts, the traditional central business district is the target of a new wave of policy proposals and design ideas.
Across America, mayors, urban planners, real estate investors, place management organizations, employers, and institutions are coming together with community groups to generate new downtown development and management practices. Stakeholders are working in collaboration to reimagine the way we live, work, play, eat, pray, learn, and heal within our downtowns and turn a new page in the history of the American city.
City Action Hall
The City Action Hall at the National Building Museum offers an engaging, functional space for community organizations, nonprofits, and local governments dedicated to the revitalization of urban downtowns. Located within the Coming Together exhibition, which reflects on the transformative impact of the pandemic on city centers, the City Action Hall seamlessly connects inspiration with action.
Designed for collaboration and community engagement, the Hall provides a versatile meeting area with modular seating, AV equipment, and a public pin-up board where groups can post takeaways and action steps from their sessions. Over time, this wall will display an evolving record of ideas and initiatives shaping cities across America.
The City Action Hall is available for booking during museum hours, with morning and afternoon sessions at an affordable rate. With its prime location in the nation’s capital, the City Action Hall serves as a catalyst for urban innovation and an inclusive space for real-world impact.
The Power of Partnering
This year is all about coming together in the spirit of collaboration and coordination of our shared ambitions and action to meet the transforming demands of cities. The National Building Museum is honored to be the convenor that breaks down silos by bringing together the businesses, non-profits, government agencies and general public who are passionately dedicated to a vibrant urban future.
The programming is centered around the power of partnering to transform communities, buildings, downtowns and cities. We will use this lens to explore the broader themes of our Future Cities initiative: Economy, Culture, Equity, Climate and Mobility. Programs will be tailored to reach audiences from academic and industry professionals to all ages of the public.
Through this strategic combination of programs we seek to reach beyond the museum’s four walls to inspire curiosity and participation in the world we design and build.
Next, we will find and follow the threads that weave together the diversity of our nation’s cities.
Join us as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America with programs, activations and an exhibition all about the past, present and future of American Cities.
What connects you to your city’s identity?
We land in our neighborhoods, with the intimacy of our homes and the pursuit of a livable future.
This phase of Future Cities ends where it began with a focus on housing affordability and improving the quality of life for all people. Stay tuned for more details on this chapter's exhibitions, programs and activations.
How do you engage in your community?
Future Cities is building its impact on our quality of lives far beyond the museum's four walls.
Equip
We are demystifying and lowering barriers of entry to the planning, governance, and development processes that result in the making of our cities.
Inspire
We are disrupting defeatist narratives and disseminating stories that highlight positive and innovative actions in cities.
Convene
We are bridging the gaps among professional sectors and the public taking action to the future of cities.
Uplift
We are amplifying the voices of historically marginalized communities and creating pathways to expand their participation in urban development.