Forumites,

​​I may never know this country, but I have loved knowing this city for the past fifteen years. Our work has taken me to bodegas in Norwood, restaurants in Jackson Heights, skyscrapers in Midtown, shelters in East New York, and forests in Staten Island. I am immensely grateful for how this city has opened its arms to me, as it has too many generations of newcomers before me. 

I have had an opportunity to know so many of you too, and fall in love with your work making this city a more just and joyful place. What I’ve discovered is that the Forum is not simply focused on the built environment — it’s a community that understands the promise of living together. We know that life is richer, culture is bolder, food is sweeter, and peace is possible when we cram into subways, pack onto sidewalks, and squeeze into neighborhoods together with people from around the world.

Now we may need to defend that idea of the city and at the same time solve the urgent challenges that confront it. We may not have the same paths to ending homelessness, decarbonizing our buildings, fixing up transit, and investing in our parks that we had last week. We may need to defend public housing and champion new arrivals like we never have before. We may fear for our families, friends and neighbors. But in the face of all that, remember: we still have the power to imagine a better future — and we should summon the courage to fight for it. 

I invite you all into a real moment of meditation this week: how can you use your time and talents to take better care of our neighbors? 

I know what the Forum will do: serve up the everyday practice of our democracy. Get ready for a hell of a lot more opportunities to connect across differences, grapple with complexity, dream together, and demand a city where every New Yorker can thrive. 

Daniel McPhee
Executive Director