The Forum featuring Charles Montgomery
APRIL 13, 2026 | 6:30 PM | THE DUBOIS CENTER
How DO the Cities We Build Shape How We Live?
The places we inhabit quietly shape our happiness, health, and sense of belonging—often more than we realize. In this keynote, Charles Montgomery, award-winning author of Happy City and founder of Happy Cities, explored how urban design influences the way we think, feel, and act.
Drawing on cutting-edge research in psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral economics—and vivid examples from cities around the world, from Disneyland to Dubai—Montgomery revealed the powerful links between the built environment and human wellbeing. Named one of the world’s 100 most influential urbanists by Planetizen, he brings an interdisciplinary perspective shaped by his work with governments, the World Health Organization, and cultural institutions like the Guggenheim Museum.
Connect. Consider. Ignite. The program ran from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM including time for conversation, connections, and Q&A.
The Forum has a three-part structure:
• First third: Participants connect and build relationships in small break-out groups prompted by a question;
• Middle third: Participants consider a presentation that ends with the speaker posing a community-facing question;
• Final third: Participants discuss the question, igniting new ideas and interactions.
THE HUMANITIES | Languages | Literature | History | Philosophy | Religion | And More!
Participate in the important questions of our time. The Forum is a conversation and speaker series that brings people together to explore challenges and opportunities that affect human flourishing through the lens of the humanities and civic imagination.
