For the third year in a row, The WNET Group, home to New York’s PBS stations THIRTEEN and WLIW21, and operator of New Jersey’s statewide public television network NJ PBS and NPR station WLIW-FM, will lead a nationwide discussion on how we can reimagine American cities for the future. Through two days of virtual conversations, American Cities Rebuilding 2022 will seek to uncover the bold steps to build better, more sustainable cities in a post-pandemic reality. To make the conversation truly national, American Cities Rebuilding 2022 delivers expanded insight by partnering with public media stations in New York, New Jersey, Denver, Phoenix, Seattle, Miami and Atlanta.  

 Thought leaders from around the country – including  Anthony S. Fauci M.D., Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and Brad Smith, President and Vice Chair of Microsoft – will share ideas about ways our cities can address issues of economic development, healthcare, education, criminal and social justice, and climate change. Participants will hear firsthand from mayors of major American cities on what developments they foresee on the horizon. American Cities Rebuilding panel discussions will take place daily, November 16-17, 12-3pm ET. The free, virtual events are open to the public. Registration is required. Click here to register (wnet.org/acr)

“We’re proud to deliver American Cities Rebuilding, a platform dedicated to the issues our communities care about most, for the third year in a row,” said Neal Shapiro, President and CEO of The WNET Group. “The conference brings together diverse innovators and active community leaders in thoughtful dialogue about the constructive reshaping of our cities. With the help of some renowned journalists, we’ll explore critical concerns that cities currently face, and we’ll discuss sustainable, workable solutions.” 

 American Cities Rebuilding 2022 is an extension of the successful American Cities Rebuilding conferences in 2020 and 2021, which was launched by NJ PBS’ news division, NJ Spotlight News. The conferences started off with a focus on the New Jersey and New York region, then increased the following year to cities in the Midwest, the southwest and the west coast in partnerships with WTTW/Chicago, Houston Public Media and KCTS 9/Seattle.

Speakers of American Cities Rebuilding 2022

Participants include (subject to change):

• Leonard L. Adams, Jr., MBA, Founder and CEO, Quest Community Development Organization 
• Christiane Amanpour, Chief International Correspondent for CNN and host of PBS’ Amanpour and Company 
• Cory Booker, U.S., Senator, New Jersey 
• Rev. Dr. Susan Hillary Buckson, pastor of Allen Temple A.M.E. Church, Atlanta, GA 
• Mileyka Burgos-Flores, activist and Executive Director & CEO of The Allapattah Collaborative 
• Mayor G. T. Bynum, City of Tulsa, OK 
• Miguel A. Cardona, 12th U.S. Secretary of Education 
• Tony Cho, CCIM, CEO & Founder, Future of Cities 
• Josh Cohen, Staff City Reporter, Crosscut, Seattle, WA
• Former Mayor Mick Cornett, Oklahoma City, OK 
• Dana Donati, CEO, United Aviate Academy, Phoenix, AZ 
• Mark Dones, CEO, King County Regional Homelessness Authority, Washington
• Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) 
• Jack Ford, journalist and co-host, MetroFocus 
• Charles Gibson, anchor, ABC’s World News 
• Jeff Greenfield, political, media and culture reporter and analyst 
• Mayor Michael B. Hancock, City of Denver, CO
• Joshua Humphries, Director of Housing and Community Development, City of Atlanta, GA
• Walter Isaacson, author and journalist, contributor to PBS’ Amanpour and Company; professor of history, Tulane University 
• Shavar D. Jeffries, CEO, KIPP Foundation, San Francisco
• Dana Knowles, multimedia journalist, Rocky Mountain PBS
• Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Chief Accessibility Officer, Microsoft
• Charles L. Marohn, Jr., author, founder and president, Strong Towns 
• Brittany Morgan, Economic Stability Director, The Miami Foundation
• Miles O’Brien, journalist
• Jorge M. Pérez, Chairman, CEO, Founder, Related Group 

• Otis Rolley, Head of Philanthropy and Community Impact at Wells Fargo & Company; President of the Wells Fargo Foundation
• Rhonda Schaffler, Business Correspondent, NJ Spotlight News
• John Schreiber, President and CEO, NJ Performing Arts Center
• Neal Shapiro, President and CEO, The WNET Group 
• Brad Smith, President and Vice Chair, Microsoft
• Myrna Sonora, Regional Vice President, South Florida, Prospera 
• Hari Sreenivasan, journalist and contributor to PBS’ Amanpour and Company
• Shanta Thanke, Chief Artistic Officer, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts 
• Megan Thompson, reporter and producer, PBS News Weekend
• Eduardo Vilaro, Artistic Director & CEO, Ballet Hispánico, New York
• Daniel H. Weiss, President and CEO, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 
• Ben Wilson, author 
• RJ Young, FOX Sports national college football writer and analyst 
• Paula Zahn, journalist and co-host, NYC-ARTS

Panels and discussions will be recorded and available for viewing at the end of each session.   

 American Cities Rebuilding 2022 is a production of The WNET Group.  American Cities Rebuilding 2022 is possible thanks to Presenting Sponsor, Wells Fargo, and Official Sponsor, PSEG. Websites: wnet.org/acr; #AmericanCitiesRebuilding