Deadline: Monday, November 17, 2025 (11:59pm ET)

The Just City Mayoral Fellowship is a unique, highly interactive program that brings together a small group of mayors and their staff for a semester-long course and extended advising, helping them to directly tackle injustices in each of their cities through planning and design interventions.

This year’s Fellowship will focus on moving local projects forward in a time of constant change and uncertainty — specifically, how cities can maintain a vision of equity, address injustice, and advance the design and development of more just cities while responding to shifting resources, capacities, and constraints.

Filling out the expression of interest form does not guarantee participation in the 2026 Fellowship. Participation in this program is very limited. Please see micd.org/JCMF for more details about the program and guidelines for a strong expression of interest. An informational webinar will be held on Thursday, October 16 at 4pm ET; click here to register or view the recording.

* Indicates required question

Question Title

* Mayor Information

Question Title

* (Optional) If applicable, what MICD session or program(s) have you attended?

Question Title

* Staff Information: If applicable, who on your team should we contact with any questions?

Question Title

* If invited, are you likely able to commit to the entire program below?
  • February 4-5, 2026: 1.5-day opening workshop (in-person in Cambridge, MA)
  • Six 90-minute virtual classes and three optional office hours sessions (Thursdays, 2:00-3:30pm ET)
  • April 15-17, 2026: 2.5-day project workshop (in-person in Cambridge, MA)
The final program schedule will be provided with invitations.

Question Title

* Mayors: In your own words, please describe your interest in the Just City Mayoral Fellowship and why you would be a good fit for the 2026 cohort.

The Just City Mayoral Fellowship is intended to build your personal leadership, knowledge, and skills in creating more just outcomes in your city, using design to address issues of social and spatial justice. This question seeks to understand why you personally believe that this is the right moment for you to participate in a program like this. You may wish to discuss your personal commitment to justice, why this Fellowship appeals to you, and why the timing of this opportunity is good both for you personally and for your city.

Suggested response length: 200-300 words

Question Title

* What are the most pressing justice-related opportunities and challenges in your city that you and your team could confront through a design justice lens?

You may wish to describe the conditions of injustice in different areas or in your city as a whole, demonstrating an understanding of the challenges and the potential for planning and design interventions to help address them.

Suggested response length: 200-300 words

Question Title

* What project might you bring to the Fellowship?

Over the semester, each mayor will devise an approach to advancing more just outcomes for their city by developing a project of their choosing. This could be a planning, development, or place-based policy initiative that faces new challenges as resources and capacity change, requiring a re-imagined project design or implementation approach. What project do you think would be the most appropriate project to bring to the Fellowship?

Please note that the Fellowship team will work with participants to select and refine their projects during the semester.

Suggested response length: 100-200 words

Question Title

* (Optional) Are there any other justice-related efforts or conditions in your community not addressed in your answers above?

T