The Long-Term Thinking Cities Need

A roundtable of discussion of prominent urbanists examines the questions of urbanism with a long-term mindset.

1 minute read

June 26, 2018, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Little Rock 1871

Little Rock, Arkansas in 1871. | Wikimedia Commons

"In this critical moment in urban history, how do we envision the far-out futures of our cities?"

That's the big question posed to a group of prominent urbanists gathered by Longpath, a future-focused initiative based in Irvington, New York.

The urbanists participating in the discussion are:

  • Gil Penalosa, the founder of 8 80 Cities.
  • Sam Liccardo, mayor of San Jose, California.
  • Toni Griffin, professor in practice of urban planning, Harvard University Graduate School of Design.
  • Dan Doctoroff, chairman and CEO, Sidewalk Labs.
  • George Abbott, director, external Affairs, Memphis River Parks Partnership
  • Shelley Poticia, managing director, Healthy People and Thriving Communities program at the Natural Resource Defense Council.
  • Michael Tubbs, mayor, Stockton, California.
  • Michael Berkowitz, president, 100 Resilient Cities.
  • Bruce Katz, author of The New Localism: How cities can thrive in the age of populism.
  • Carol Coletta, senior fellow of American Cities Practice, Kresge Foundation.
  • Jonathan Rose, President; Author of The Well Tempered City.

Two, more specific, questions help the roundtable arrive at insight about the larger question about thinking long-term. First, the roundtable focuses on what needs to change in the mindset of the world to realize their desired future, and second the roundtable discusses the "inflection points" from the last 100 years of urban history that had still influencing the cities of today.

Monday, June 4, 2018 in CityLab

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Yellow single-seat Japanese electric vehicle drivign down road.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs

The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

June 6, 2025 - PC Magazine

White Waymo autonomous car driving fast down city street with blurred background at night.

Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars

Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.

3 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

Two small wooden one-story homes in Florida with floodwaters at their doors.

As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?

With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.

5 hours ago - Governing

People riding bicycles on separated bike trail.

With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike

For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.

7 hours ago - UNM News