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From employing data in decision-making to gaining power in negotiations—learn from the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative's research and resources.

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Upcoming Events

Inventing Urban Futures: Lessons from Three Centuries of City-making

Thursday, April 9

Inventing Urban Futures: Lessons from Three Centuries of City-making

As cities face rapid change and growing uncertainty, questions about how we imagine and plan for the future have taken on renewed urgency. This interactive event draws on insights from Bruno Carvalho’s new book, “The Invention of the Future: A History of Cities in the Modern World,” to explore how historical visions of tomorrow’s cities continue to shape contemporary urban planning and policy.

Bloomberg Center for Cities, Taubman Third Floor, Harvard Kennedy School

12:00 p.m.

Global Challenges, Local Leadership: How Mayors Deliver Results

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Global Challenges, Local Leadership: How Mayors Deliver Results

From trade and investment to climate and migration, city leaders are increasingly operating at the intersection of local and global challenges. This discussion, featuring Mayor Alyia Gaskins of Alexandria, VA, and Mayor Dada Sello Morero of Johannesburg, South Africa, will explore how mayors are positioning their cities within an interconnected world.

JFK Jr. Forum, 79 John F. Kennedy St., Cambridge, MA 02138

6:00 p.m. EST

Student Study Group: City and State Diplomacy – U.S. Subnational Actors in a Changing Global Order

February 25-April 16

Student Study Group: City and State Diplomacy – U.S. Subnational Actors in a Changing Global Order

This study group is designed for enrolled Harvard graduate students interested in diplomacy, national security, climate policy, economic statecraft, and the evolving architecture of global governance beyond the nation-state.

Bloomberg Center for Cities, Taubman Third Floor, Harvard Kennedy School

2nd Annual Harvard State and Local Government Career Expo
collage of downtown buildings against pink cloudy sky

Friday, April 17, 2026

2nd Annual Harvard State and Local Government Career Expo

Current Harvard students and Harvard alumni are invited to explore leadership opportunities in communities across the country, where you can pursue public service and make rapid impact for residents.

Wexner Commons, Harvard Kennedy School, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA 02138

11:45 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

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