The 80th National Session of the Mayors’ Institute on City Design (MICD) took place March 19-21, 2025 in Long Beach, CA, hosted by Mayor Rex Richardson. The event convened seven mayors and seven design leaders in a collaborative workshop to discuss the most pressing design and development issues in each of their cities.
Seven experts in architecture, landscape architecture, arts and culture, transportation, urban planning, real estate development, and economic development joined the mayors for two and a half days of discussions at the Port of Long Beach Administration Building, exchanging ideas and offering pragmatic advice for each project. The participating mayors brought a range of projects to this session, seeking to address a wide array of challenges and opportunities through improvements to the built environment.
Throughout the session, mayors explored frameworks for catalyzing mixed-use redevelopment of legacy industrial and commercial districts, investing in a vibrant and connected public realm, uplifting local cultural assets for social and economic vibrancy, and designing for health and wellness. Participants left with strengthened aspirations and a new set of tools for leading with design.
“This program has reinforced the notion that solutions in urban planning are limited only by your imagination and creativity.”
Maui, HI Mayor Richard T. Bissen, Jr.“I was personally encouraged to participate in MICD, and I’m glad I did. I’m coming away from the experience with new ideas and new relationships as well as new energy for design thinking in my hometown.”
Nashville, TN Mayor Freddie O’Connell
Mayors were introduced to the many facets of the design process by the Resource Team, a group of multi-disciplinary experts whose breadth and depth of experience illustrated how design can generate creative solutions to complex problems.
“There is something really amazing about a room full of people who care about cities, who are full of experience and smart ideas, and who can build on each other in a ‘yes and…’ way.”
Siqi Zhu | Associate Principal and Director of Planning & Urban Technology, Sasaki, Brooklyn, NY“It was an honor to spend three days with mayors from across the U.S. in Long Beach. As a resource team member, I valued the mayors’ intent and passion, engagement with their communities, and their infectious fervor for the future for each of their cities.”
John Arroyo, PhD, AICP | Assistant Professor, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA
The session began with a tour of Long Beach that showcased the city’s preparations for the upcoming 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Led by Mayor Rex Richardson, the tour highlighted improvements to the city’s exiting sporting facilities and infrastructure that will benefit the city in many ways after the Olympics. Participants explored development along Shoreline Drive as well as placemaking efforts and public amenities underway near the Queen Mary.
Aboard the Queen Mary, Mayor Richardson welcomed the group for an opening reception and dinner sharing his reflections on the power of bold city leadership to make transformative change. The group was also welcomed by Trinity Simons Wagner, Executive Director of the Mayors’ Institute on City Design; Erin Sheeran, Membership Manager for the United States Conference of Mayors; and Grace Oran, Program Director for the Mayors’ Institute on City Design.
While in Long Beach, the group also explored the Space Beach corridor, a product of ongoing efforts to redevelop a heavy industrial district into a thriving advanced manufacturing center and multi-mobility hub. As a result of the Globemaster Corridor Specific Plan and Mayor Richardson’s Grow Long Beach strategy, space station manufacturer Vast relocated to the area and grew from 40 employees to nearly 1,000. Lucius Martin, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development; Alison Spindler-Ruiz, Planning Bureau Manager; Eva Behrend, Vice President of Communications at Vast; and Kyle Dedmon, Vice President for Operations at Vast, shared lessons for catalyzing adaptive reuse and redevelopment through imaginative city leadership.
Mayors
Rex Richardson | Long Beach, CA (Host)
Kelly Girtz | Athens, GA
Joshua Sweeney | Laguna Hills, CA
Richard T. Bissen, Jr. | Maui, HI
Dominick Pangallo | Salem, MA
Lisa Brown | Spokane, WA
Freddie O’Connell | Nashville, TN
Quentin Hart | Waterloo, IA
Resource Team
John Arroyo, PhD, AICP | Assistant Professor, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA
Christian Gabriel, FASLA, PLA | Founder + Creative Director, Public Nature Projects, Washington, DC
Matthew Kwatinetz | Director, NYU Urban Lab, New York, NY
Demar Matthews | Founder and Principal, offTOP Design, Los Angeles, CA
Seleta Reynolds | Chief Innovation Officer, Los Angeles Metro, Los Angeles, CA
Claire Weisz, FAIA, Hon. RAIC, Hon. ASLA | Founder & Principal-in-Charge, WXY Architecture + Urban Design, New York, NY
Siqi Zhu | Associate Principal and Director of Planning & Urban Technology, Sasaki, Brooklyn, NY
The Mayors’ Institute on City Design (MICD) is a leadership initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the United States Conference of Mayors. Since 1986, MICD has helped transform communities through design by preparing mayors to be the chief urban designers of their cities. MICD conducts several sessions each year. For a list of upcoming events, past participants, and more information, visit micd.org and follow @MICDdotORG on Twitter.