This fall, the Aspen Institute, The Atlantic, and Bloomberg Philanthropies will partner to host the forthcoming summit, “CityLab: Urban Solutions for Global Challenges,” to be held in New York City October 6-8, 2013. The premier event will bring together global city leaders—mayors and government officials, urban theorists, scholars, artists, and other key voices—to engage in a series of conversations about urban ideas and innovations that are shaping metro centers around the world.

Against the backdrop of New York City, the program will showcase the power of effective leadership and partnership to transform cities, making them more livable, sustainable, and healthy. The two-and-a-half day summit will feature a mix of one-on-one interviews, panel discussions, and breakout tutorial sessions designed to examine and help spread successful practices from world cities in areas including technology, intellectual capital, infrastructure, job creating and the environment.

For more information on the overall CityLab program, please visit events.theatlantic.com/citylab/2013/.

Extending the conference’s daytime workshops, on the evening of Monday, October 7 we will draw together urban leaders and cultural tastemakers as they reflect on the big ideas and experiments shaping the world’s cities and their own work. In addition to my opening remarks, our program will include discussions on urban resilience and sustainability with Vice President Al Gore, as well as a conversation on cultural investment, featuring former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts Rocco Landesman, artist Theaster Gates, Artichoke co-Director Helen Marriage, and Commissioner of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Kate Levin.

This program will be on the evening of October 7 from 8:00 PM until 9:30 PM at New York University’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts (60 Washington Square South). Tickets are available for $35.