The City of Montgomery proudly announces that Mayor Steven L. Reed, along with his Chief of Staff and City Executive Kippy Tate, has been selected to participate in the 2025 Mayors’ Institute on City Design (MICD) Just City Mayoral Fellowship. This highly respected program, a collaboration between MICD and the Just City Lab at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, will take place in a hybrid virtual and in-person format throughout Spring 2025.
Now in its fifth year, the Fellowship brings together a select group of mayors and city staff from across the country to explore innovative and justice-centered approaches to city design especially in light of the current housing crisis. The 2025 curriculum, titled "What It Means to House Our Communities," moves beyond traditional models of housing supply and demand, challenging participants to think more holistically about how all city resources can support the wide range of housing needs faced by diverse populations.
Through a semester-long journey, Mayor Reed, his Chief of Staff, and Mr. Tate will work alongside national experts in urban planning, architecture, landscape design, art activism, and public policy. Guided by the Lab’s Just City Index, participants will identify systemic injustices embedded in their cities’ physical and social structures and develop actionable strategies to build more equitable, inclusive communities.
“I’m honored to represent Montgomery in this vital initiative,” said Mayor Reed. “Having our Chief of Staff and Kippy Tate join me ensures that Montgomery's leadership team is fully engaged in reimagining our city’s housing strategies. We are committed to creating a community where every resident no matter their background has access to safe, affordable housing and a high quality of life.”
Montgomery joins a powerful cohort of cities for this year’s Fellowship, including Bloomington, IN; Gainesville, FL; Jackson, TN; Portsmouth, VA; Flagstaff, AZ; San Bernardino, CA; and Suisun City, CA.
Since its founding in 1986, the Mayors’ Institute on City Design has served as the nation’s leading forum for mayors to address design and development challenges in their communities. In partnership with the Just City Lab led by renowned architect and urban planner Toni L. Griffin this Fellowship continues to provide innovative tools and thought leadership to empower mayors and their teams.
“We are excited for Mayor Reed and his team to take part in this transformational program,” said Sarah Whiting, Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Design. “This Fellowship is not just about ideas it’s about building actionable, justice-driven strategies that make cities better for everyone.”
