New York Times : Urban Leaders, Policymakers, and Social Entrepreneurs To Convene at The New York Times 2017 Cities for Tomorrow Conference

Participants include former Massachusetts Governor William Weld, writer David Simon, Newark mayor Ras Baraka, Momofuku founder David Chang and actor John Leguizamo for the Times's annual two-day symposium on the future of American cities

NEW YORK, July 6, 2017 - The New York Times has announced a robust speaker lineup and agenda for its annualCities for Tomorrowconference, taking place July 10-11 at TheTimesCenter in New York City.

Bringing together the most important influencers in urban leadership, Cities for Tomorrow tasks the nation's most innovative and forward-thinking urban decision makers with finding solutions to our cities' most pressing problems. Over a day and a half, Cities will feature provocative interviews, lively conversations, and an audience of urban power players-policy and government officials, C-suite level executives from diverse industries, entrepreneurs, and cultural leaders-all gathered to identify and assess the winning formulas that lead to flourishing cities.

Topics will range from the new power of private money to the future of bricks-and-mortar retail, from cities' impact on the national climate agenda to the realities of leading during a time of partisan politics, from the promises and pitfalls of smart technology to fresh approaches to entrepreneurship - and much more on what makes a good city great.

Speakers for 2017's Cities for Tomorrow include:

Art Acevedo, chief, Houston Police Department

Luiza Aguiar, executive director, Perkins Solutions

Ras J. Baraka, mayor, Newark

Jonathan Butler, co-founder, Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasburg

Mary T. Bassett, commissioner of health, New York City

Erin Baumgartner, assistant director, SENSEable City Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Michael Berkowitz, president, 100 Resilient Cities

David Chang, chef and founder, Momofuku

Davida Herzl, CEO and co-founder, Aclima

John Leguizamo, actor, writer, activist

Tom Lewand, CEO, Shinola

Ernest J. Moniz, former United States energy secretary

Tarell Alvin McCraney, playwright

George Pelecanos, writer and producer

Daniela Perdomo, co-founder and CEO, goTenna

Margarette Purvis, president and CEO, Food Bank for New York City

Christine C. Quinn, president and CEO, Win

Chuck Rosenberg, acting administrator, United States Drug Enforcement Administration

David Simon, writer and producer

Greg Stanton, mayor, Phoenix

Tom Steyer, founder and president, NextGen Climate

Matt Tyrnauer, director and co-producer, Citizen Jane: Battle for the City

Michael Van Valkenburgh, founder, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates

William F. Weld, former governor, Massachusetts

Joan C. Williams, author, White Working Class: Overcoming Class Cluelessness in America

Steven F. Wilson, founder; CEO, Ascent Learning

The conference opens the evening of July 10 with a discussion between David Simon and George Pelecanos, writers and producers of HBO'shit television show, The Wire, in conversation with Times executive editor Dean Baquet. Following the discussion will be a full-feature screening of Citizen Jane: Battle for the City, along with a discussion with the movie's director, Matt Tyrnauer. Times Chairman and Publisher Arthur O. Sulzberger, Jr. will give introductory remarks on the morning of July 11th.

Top Times journalists will participate, including Adam Bryant, editorial director of Live Journalism and 'Corner Office' columnist and 'Big City' columnist Ginia Bellafante,whowill serve as co-hosts this year, as well as moderators Marc Lacey, national editor; congressional correspondent Jennifer Steinhauer; and Alexandra Jacobs, features editor and writer in Styles.

The Rockefeller Foundationserves as a Resilient Cities Supporter at this year's Cities for Tomorrow conference.6sqft,Digital NYC,Lincoln Institute of Land Policy,Metropolis,National League of Cities, andNext Cityserve as Media Sponsors.

To apply for an invitation, view the agenda and speaker lineup, or learn more about The New York Times Cities for Tomorrow, please visitNYTCitiesforTomorrowFollow @NYTLive for live updates from the conference and use hashtag #NYTCities to join the conversation.

For more information on sponsorship opportunities, please emailsponsorship@nytimes.com.

To request a press pass, please email Adenike Olanrewaju at Adenike.Olanrewaju@NYTimes.com. Only pre-registered press will be granted entry. Please note that there will be no onsite accreditation.

About The New York Times Company

The New York Times Companyis a global media organization dedicated to enhancing society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news and information. The Company includes The New York Times, NYTimes.com and related properties. It is known globally for excellence in its journalism, and innovation in its print and digital storytelling and its business model. Follow news about the company at@NYTimesComm.