Metro Ideas Project announced Public Assembly, a gathering of the nation’s voices ranging from authors, elected officials, journalists, and policy minds, will be hosted in Chattanooga May 11-12.
At the inaugural Public Assembly summit, hosted at the new Chattanooga Whiskey Riverfront Headquarters, those gathered will focus on moving the nation forward by addressing a single comprehensive challenge facing the country: the urban-suburban-rural divide.
The event invites intellectually curious and civically minded individuals from across the United States to attend, but will have a particular focus on examining national issues through a Chattanooga-focused lens.
“It’s clear that our national dialogue has been radically upended as our politics have become more divided," said Joda Thongnopnua, executive director of Metro Ideas Project. "That’s why Metro Ideas Project firmly believes that Chattanooga, not the D.C. Beltway or coastal media metropolises, was the right place to unpack the fundamental contradictions present in the way we talk about the most important issues facing America today. We’re focusing on the Urban-Suburban-Rural divide because we see that issue as deeply intertwined with many of the existential policy and political differences that allow conflict and resentment to fester. This is an opportunity to come together and discuss a path forward.”
In launching Public Assembly, Metro Ideas Project announced Little Rock Mayor and National League of Cities President Mark Stodola as a keynote speaker for the summit.
“From an erosion of home rule in our cities to the decline of federal funding for essential infrastructure projects, I see the devastating consequences of the divide between our rural and urban communities,” said Mayor Stodola. “Public Assembly is putting together exactly the kind of discussion this country needs right now, focused on solutions to bridge those divides through constructive, meaningful dialogue.”
In partnership with The Aspen Institute, Public Assembly will also host the American Values Seminar for a select group of emerging leaders in the community. The Aspen Institute is engaging cities across America to bring citizens together to discuss the fundamental values of American constitutional democracy. This half-day seminar will provide participants with the tools and insights to reignite civil discourse in their own daily lives.
Additional speakers will be announced in the weeks leading up to the event, including a national journalist, an academic on the intersection of race and politics, and a San Francisco-based urbanist. Badges are on sale at a discounted rate through the month of March for early purchasers. For more information and details on badge pricing, visit apublicassembly.com.