Mayors Innovation Project
A peer learning network for mayors and city leaders.

Summer Meeting 2024: Knoxville, TN!

Thank you to all the Mayors, speakers, city staff, sponsors, and partners who joined us August 8-10th 2024 for the MIP Summer Meeting in beautiful Knoxville, TN! Hosted in partnership with Mayor Indya Kincannon, we dug into cutting edge city policy in a relaxed, off the cuff setting. As always, we had a great time touring the City, sharing innovative ideas, and making new connections!

Final Agenda

 

 

 

On site resources for registrants! Check out the drop down menu below:

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Social Media Toolkit: Share about your experience at the Summer Meeting!

If you’re attending the Summer Meeting, we invite you to share about your experience on social media. Our social meeting toolkit includes some sample posts that you’re welcome to share. Please feel free to customize your post with your own language and/or photos!

Summer 2024 Meeting Social Media Toolkit

Things to do in Knoxville!

  • Check out Visit Knoxville’s Visitor Guide to learn more about Knoxville’s attractions, best places to eat, outdoor activities, and more!
  • Here is a list of activities happening in Knoxville during the summer meeting!
  • Visit Market Square, just steps from the hotel, which offers a slew of local dining options and is home to the Suffrage Statue, which tells the story of three women who led the fight for women’s suffrage. 
  • The East Tennessee History Center is free and offers fun and historical information relevant to East TN.
  • The Knoxville Museum of Art, located in World’s Fair Park, is free and celebrates East Tennessee’s rich, diverse visual culture and its connections to the wider currents of world art. 
  • World’s Fair Park offers greenspace, fountains, and recreational opportunities just a few blocks from our hotel. 
  • Tour the Blount Mansion! Often called the birthplace of Tennessee, this landmark was once the home of U.S. Constitution signer William Blount and now hosts tours and a museum. 
  • Knoxville’s original speakeasy, the Peter Kern Library, will enchant you with its literary themes – but can you find the secret code to unlock the secret door? Located inside the Oliver Hotel, 407 Union Ave.

City Tour Options (Friday, Aug. 9, 2-4pm)

  • Urban Wilderness bus tour: Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness is a recreational, cultural, and historic preservation initiative that incorporates 1,000 forested acres along downtown’s south waterfront, creating an exceptional recreation and historic corridor that also provides an incredible economic benefit to the community with nearly 50 miles of multi-use trails, 10 parks, four civil war sites, and incredible views. Its expansion was secured in 2017 by transforming the four-lane James White Parkway into a linear park and gateway to the site. 
  • Public Private Partnerships walking tour: The City of Knoxville is expanding housing and economic development opportunities as it experiences rapid growth and revitalization. This walking tour (~1.5 miles) will highlight some key projects that have played a part in this revitalization and blending of “old” and “new” Knoxville. 
  • Arts and Economic Development walking tour: Knoxville is home to many artists and public art that helps tell the story of the City’s history and culture and provides an economic opportunity for the City and its artists. This one-hour walking tour (~1 mile) will highlight several arts projects and conclude with an hour at the Emporium, Knoxville’s first true arts center, where we’ll be treated to a unique immersive climate installation by Jake Barton, who also designed Planet Word, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, and the Greenwood Rising Black Wall Street History Center.  

Scroll down to view all Summer Meeting resources, including each panel’s carefully curated briefing book.

We are a national learning network for mayors committed to shared prosperity, environmental sustainability, and efficient democratic government.

Learn more here.

Briefing Books & Panel Slides

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Urban Connectivity and Transformative Placemaking

Speakers and Presentation Slides:

 

Briefing Book Resources:

  1. Transformative placemaking: A framework to create connected, vibrant, and inclusive communities, Jennifer S. Vey and Hanna Love, Brookings Institution, November 2019
  2. Transformative placemaking framework, Jennifer S. Vey and Hanna Love, Brookings Institution, November 2019
  3. Building Better: How real estate developers can create more inclusive catalytic development projects, Ryan Donahue, Jennifer S. Vey and Tracy Hadden Loh, February 2024
  4. City of Knoxville Key Development Priorities, City of Knoxville
  5. Five ways new paths and parks will ‘Reconnect Knoxville’ from the stadium to the river, Ryan Wilusz, Knoxville News Sentinel, March 2024
  6. City Infrastructure Preceded OnCore Investment, City of Knoxville, March 2024
  7. Reimagining Economic Development in a Small American City, Location Initiatives Support Corporation, August 2023
  8. Urban design + Place Strategies, City of Asheville, NC, March 2023
  9. Urban Centers, City of Asheville, NC, November 2023

Download the Full Briefing Book

Community Based Violence Prevention

Panel Speakers Include:

Download the Full Slide Deck

Briefing Book Resources:

  1. A new Anti-Violence Center offers Scientific Solutions to Gun Violence, Michael Friedrich, Arnold Ventures, January 2023
  2. Saving Lives: Ten Essential Actions Cities Can Take to Reduce Violence Now, Council on Criminal Justice, January 2022
  3. City of Knoxville Community-Based Violence Reduction Plan, City of Knoxville Office of Community Safety, May 2023
  4. As research grows into how to stop gun violence, one city looks to science for help, Mike Stobbe, AP News, August 2023
  5. 2023 Year in Review, City of St. Louis, Office of Violence Prevention, 2024

Download the Full Briefing Book

Creating an Affordable Housing Ecosystem

Panel Speakers Include:

 

Briefing Book Resources:

  1. Housing solutions to match our housing crisis, Bruce Katz, Michael Saadine, Ben Preis and Emily Desmond, The New Localism, June 2024
  2. Three dimensions of affordability, Murphy Antoine, Robert Steuteville, Congress for the New Urbanism, April 2024
  3. Toward an Attainable Resilient Knoxville, City of Knoxville, February 2024
  4. Knoxville Affordable Housing Fund, Annual Reports and Key Highlights, City of Knoxville, June 2023
  5. City of Lansing: A Dynamic Housing Philosophy, City of Lansing, October 2022
  6. Waterloo City Council considers several new housing projects across city, Emma’le Maas, KWWL News 7, June 2024
  7. New Uses of Public Assets Are Helping Atlanta Fill Its Affordable Housing Gap, Carl Smith, Governing, July 2023

Download the Full Briefing Book

Climate Engagement and Empowerment

Panel Speakers Include:

 

Briefing Book Resources:

  1. The Spectrum of Community Engagement to Ownership, Rosa Gonzalez and Facilitating Power, Movement Strategy Center, October 2019
  2. 12 Ways to Improve Climate Change Communications and Campaigns, Michael Shank, Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance, November 2019
  3. 12 Principles of Behavior Change Communications, Michael Shank, Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance,
  4. Knoxville Urban Forest Master Plan, Public Input Summary Report, Trees Knoxville, June 2023
  5. DEUSA Fleet Success Stories: City of Knoxville, TN, DRIVE Electric USA, June 2023
  6. Madison preparing for big leap in air quality monitoring, Dean Mosiman, Tribune Content Agency Regional News, May 2023
  7. Conservation voters launch innovative canvass campaign, Wisconsin Conservation Voters, Urban Milwaukee, October 2023
  8. Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing Project, Multifamily Owners Interviews Summary, Sustain Dane & Elevate Energy Partnership on HOAH incentives, July 2020
  9. The City of Madison Mayor’s Office has announced a new Building Energy Saving Program, Lauryn Abozeid, ABC WKOW Channel 27, May 2024
  10. Youth Leaders to Showcase Community Resilience Work, City of San Antonio, May 2024

Download the Full Briefing Book

Innovation Showcase!

Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, Madison, WI

Mayor Lori Woods, Signal Hill, CA

Mayor Dominick Pangallo, Salem, MA

Mayor Benjamin Holbert, Woodmere, OH

Mayor Diana Merdian, Sterling, IL

Mayor John Cruikshank, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

Mayor Yasmine-Imani McMorrin, Culver City, CA

Mayor Jim Paine, Superior, WI

View the full Innovation Showcase Recap

Sponsors and National Partners

Valerie Friedmann – Trust for Public Land

Rick Sander – Community Solutions Collaborative

Amy Mahler – Harvard Kennedy School/Taubman Center

Registration, logistics and agenda

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Registration Details

All US mayors are invited! Other elected local government leaders and staff should confirm with their mayor’s office before registering.

Register here

MEMBER CITIES
As always, registration is free for member cities – both mayors and staff/city representatives. Not sure if you are a member city? Click to see a list of current members. Not a member? Joining is easy and our rates are competitive. Learn more about membership here!

You do NOT need to be a member city to attend:

NON-MEMBER CITIES
Mayors: $375/person
Council members or city staff: $450/person

SPECIAL KNOXVILLE NEIGHBOR RATE!
Mayor Kincannon invites mayors from Tennessee and its closest neighbors to apply a $100 discount to their registration! You are eligible for this discount if your city is located in any of the following states: AL, AR, KY, GA, MO, NC, SC, and TN. Please indicate this in your registration below and the discount will be automatically calculated.

NGO’S
Our NGO rate is $475.00. If you are with a non-governmental organization, such as a non-profit or academic institution, please contact knspear@mayorsinnovation.org for an invitation.

SPONSORS
The primary way we work with for-profit businesses and other mayors-serving organizations is as sponsors. Interested in sponsoring? Contact knspear@mayorsinnovation.org to get started!

REFUNDS/CANCELLATIONS
In the event that you are unable to attend, we are able to refund registration fees for those who notify us by July 25, 2024. After this date this date, while we can no longer refund registration fees, we’d be happy to welcome an alternate attendee.

Register here!

Travel & Logistics

Our conference hotel and primary conference venue is the Embassy Suites Downtown Knoxville. We’ve reserved a hotel block at the special rate of $188/night. Book using this link by July 7th.

Located in the heart of downtown Knoxville, from the Embassy Suites you’ll have quick easy access to local landmarks and conference sites, and the hotel boasts a spa and rooftop pool and bar, along with complimentary breakfast and evening receptions.

The hotel is just a 20-minute drive from the McGhee Tyson Airport, our recommended flight destination from your city. We are working to arrange shuttle service to/from the airport and will post (and share with registrants) shuttle times and details shortly.

 

Agenda

Our Summer meeting includes a mix of policy panels, networking events, and city tours that highlight and bring to life the innovative policy and partnerships happening in Knoxville, TN.

View the draft agenda

Our agenda runs from approximately 6pm on Thursday, Aug. 8 until approximately 2pm on Saturday, Aug. 10. For those looking to stick around and experience more of Knoxville, we are arranging an optional post-conference social event and will have additional information posted here soon about historic landmarks and exciting events that you can add to your itinerary if you’re spending more time in the area.

Thank you to our generous sponsors!

 

 

 

 

 

Social Media

From our Summer Meeting host…

I am so excited to host the Mayors Innovation Project 2024 Summer Meeting August 8-10, in Knoxville, TN!

As I embark on my second term as Mayor, I look forward to continuing to build on the innovative projects that are making Knoxville stand out as a place where people want to live, visit, and do business.

The peer-to-peer learning opportunities over these 3 days in Knoxville will be invaluable. I also look forward to sharing more about the forward- thinking initiatives that are helping us improve public safety and connectivity, create amazing public spaces, and enhance housing opportunities right here in our city.

While you are here, you will also have the opportunity to enjoy some breathtaking views of the Smokies, visit the Sunsphere from the 1982 World’s Fair, check out the University of Tennessee, and enjoy our amazing outdoor and dining opportunities.

Here’s a sneak peak of some of the exciting things you can expect to see while in Knoxville:


 

As always, registration is free for Mayors Innovation Project member city mayors and staff, though you do not need to be a member to attend.

We are honored to be hosting the Summer Meeting and look forward to seeing you in August!

Sincerely,

Mayor Indya Kincannon

Knoxville, TN