The Chicago We Want: Next Generation Policy on Revenue, Housing, and Growth
Chicago has the talent, ideas, and commitment to make our city better. Join us for a jolt of energy as we reimagine what is possible for our Great American City, bringing fresh perspectives and bold ideas to the conversation about how we achieve real, tangible, and inclusive economic and social outcomes that benefit all Chicagoans.
On Monday, November 9 at Wintrust Grand Banking Hall, Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) will bring together leaders from across sectors for a cocktail reception and provocative fireside conversation focused on the “what and how” of building an exponentially more dynamic and inclusive Chicago over the next 10 years. We’ll explore next generation solutions to reimagine growth and affordability for Chicago and other American cities, the revenue cities need to invest in people, communities, and systems, and what it will take to create meaningful, inclusive growth.
We hope you’ll join us this fall to imagine, and begin to build, the Chicago we want.
Pre-event VIP Reception (invite-only): 5:30 – 6pm
General Admission: 6:00pm
Event Ends: 8:30pm
Invest in Chicago’s future. Sponsorship opportunities are now available for those who want to invest in Chicago’s next generation of ideas and leadership. For more information about sponsoring the event, click here.
Join us to explore next generation solutions to reimagine growth and affordability for Chicago and other American cities.
Keynote Address and Conversation
MPC is thrilled to announce that Anand Giridharadas, New York Times bestselling author and acclaimed journalist, will share remarks as the keynote speaker and join MPC President and CEO Dan Lurie for a fireside chat. A former foreign correspondent and columnist for The New York Times, Giridharadas is the author of bestselling books Winners Take All and The Persuaders, whose work has also been featured in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and TIME. From the TED stage to audiences around the world, he has built a career challenging conventional wisdom and asking tough questions about power, progress and meaningful change. He’ll bring that national perspective to Chicago to guide energizing conversation that cuts through the jargon, dueling op-eds, and the loud headlines to confront the big picture stakes to get to a more dynamic, affordable and inclusive Chicago.
2026 Great American Cities Award Honoree
We’ll be honoring Michael Strautmanis, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, The Obama Foundation, with the inaugural Great American Cities Award for his leadership at the Obama Foundation, where he has worked to ensure that the Obama Presidential Center serves as an economic engine and community resource for Chicago’s South Side as well as a global destination for our city. His commitment to expanding opportunity and ensuring more Chicagoans can participate in and shape the region’s future embodies the vision behind the inaugural Great American Cities Award.
Thank you to our event sponsors
MEDIA SPONSOR
Event Host Committee
- Andy Biedeman, President, Pritzker Traubert Foundation
- Paul C. Carlisle, Chief Operating Officer & Market Head, Commercial Banking, Wintrust Financial Corporation
- King Harris, President, Harris Family Foundation
- Adam Hecktman, Chief Data Architect, For Good Advisory
- Mike Taylor, Chicago Metro Market President, Old National Bank
- Mike Thomas, Vice-President, Administration and Real Estate, Allstate Insurance Company
Sponsor logos and listings as of October 14, 2026