Houston selected to host 2016 Next City Vanguard conference
HOUSTON (FOX 26) - The Next City Vanguard conference, an annual gathering of the best and brightest young urban leaders, will take place in Houston from May 10 until May 13 in 2016, with the purpose of tackling challenges in the fourth-largest city in the U.S.
“Next City is thrilled to select Houston as the site for our Vanguard 2016 conference,” said Tom Dallessio, president, chief executive officer and publisher of the nonprofit organization Next City. “We look forward to bringing brilliant and committed young urban leaders to Houston to inspire change in this amazing city and cities around the world.”
The booming growth and increasingly urban orientation of Houston were factors that helped Next City determine that it would serve as an ideal place for the 2016 conference. The Vanguard program will be run by Next City will in cooperation with A committee of hosts led by the Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research will work in conjunction with Next City to help execute the Vanguard program. The host committee includes representatives of the city of Houston, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Houston Hackathon, the University of Texas School of Public Health, the Houston Parks Board and many other local organizations from the public and private sectors.
“Next City Vanguard conference brings together the best and brightest urban thinkers from across the country,” said Houston Mayor Annise Parker. “As a place known for being on the cutting edge of innovation, the city of Houston and Rice University cast an ideal setting for these young innovators to explore and create solutions that will inspire the next generation of advancements.”
Houston and surrounding Harris County are attracting more new residents annually than any other metro area in the United States. The population has grown from 4.5 million to 6 million people just since 2000 and is expected to grow to 10 million by 2040. How can a metro region that is sprawling and densifying at the same time, with a growing economy, a thriving arts scene, world-class restaurants and a large museum district adapt for the future by addressing traffic congestion, equitable and inclusive development, immigration, sustainability and resilience?
“The Next City Vanguard conference is the leading event for the country’s top young urbanists, and Houston is the country’s hottest urban location,” said Bill Fulton, director of the Kinder Institute. “We’re looking forward to bringing the Vanguards to town and having them apply their skills to Houston’s urban problems.”
The Next City Vanguard program brings together 40 urban professionals, 40 years old and under, working to improve cities. Solving urban problems means working across divides and breaking silos, so Vanguard convenes professionals across sectors, including architecture, art, civic technology, community development, entrepreneurship, government, transportation and urban planning. Each year, Next City selects applicants whose smart ideas for cities, experience in the field and ambition for the future all show great promise. The conference is free and there are a limited number of stipends to cover travel costs for qualified applicants.
This year’s three-day conference will include workshops, tours and conversations about the newest innovations and most pressing questions in urban development, infrastructure and public policy. Vanguards will have the opportunity to work with a small group of Houston organizations to devise solutions to local challenges. The program will culminate in Next City’s annual Big Idea Challenge. The winning idea will be funded by Next City and implemented in Houston in the year following the conference.
Applications for the 2016 Vanguard conference will be open from Oct. 1 through Dec. 15, 2015. The only requirement is that applicants must be 40 or younger. The application fee is $35, but a reduced early bird fee of $25 is available until Nov. 20. Apply here.