The National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. has launched a major new exhibition that examines the dramatic transformations reshaping American downtowns in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Titled "Coming Together: Reimagining America's Downtowns," the show opened to the public and will remain on view through Fall 2026, serving as the inaugural presentation in the museum's ambitious three-part Future Cities initiative. Curated by Georgetown University professor Uwe S. Brandes and designed by the acclaimed architectural firms Reddymade and MGMT, the exhibition presents a comprehensive look at how more than 60 U.S. cities—both large metropolitan areas and smaller municipalities—are adapting their urban cores to meet evolving community needs. Through immersive displays and compelling case studies, visitors discover how the pandemic accelerated existing trends while sparking innovative approaches to housing, mobility, entertainment, and public gathering spaces.

The COVID-19 crisis exposed deep vulnerabilities in traditional urban structures while simultaneously revealing remarkable community resilience and imagination. Aileen Fuchs, President and Executive Director of the National Building Museum, explains that the exhibition invites visitors to reflect critically on how cities are evolving and to explore bold ideas for building more inclusive, resilient, and joyful futures. Curator Uwe S. Brandes emphasizes that this moment represents a pivotal chapter in American urban history, characterized by a groundswell of innovation redefining downtown possibilities. The exhibition's central premise argues that when diverse stakeholders—including mayors, employers, cultural institutions, and neighborhood residents—collaborate effectively, cities can fundamentally reimagine how people live, work, play, eat, worship, learn, and heal within urban environments.

The exhibition unfolds across three thoughtfully designed galleries that guide visitors through a chronological and thematic journey. The first gallery, "Social Distancing," establishes historical and emotional context by tracing the origins of the term "downtown" and examining how public health emergencies have historically catalyzed urban change. This section helps visitors understand that while the pandemic was unprecedented, it followed patterns of crisis-driven innovation. The second gallery, "Cities Take Charge," focuses on contemporary strategies and policy interventions actively reshaping downtown districts today. Here, visitors encounter examples of office-to-housing conversions, the activation of sidewalks as social spaces, and the transformation of vacant commercial properties into cultural venues. The third space, City Action Hall, functions as a flexible collaboration hub where up to 50 people can gather for meetings, strategy sessions, workshops, and public programs.

Concrete examples bring these concepts to life through detailed case studies from across the nation. Salt Lake City, Utah demonstrates remarkable success in growing its downtown residential population through strategic housing development initiatives. Washington, D.C. has strategically invested in sports and entertainment infrastructure to offset structural economic changes and attract visitors. Nashville, Tennessee showcases rapid adaptation of its tourism-based economy to new post-pandemic realities. The exhibition also features the impressive adaptive reuse of the 14-story Park Ford office building in Alexandria, Virginia, which was converted into 435 residential units while carefully preserving its original concrete structure and much of its distinctive façade. Additionally, visitors learn about innovative temporary interventions like portable "parklets" in Norfolk, Virginia—small gathering spaces designed to fit within standard parking spots—and the transformation of a former Google office space in New York City into a vibrant coding academy and workshop space by the organization Black Girls Code.

Beyond top-down planning, the exhibition highlights powerful community-led strategies and grassroots organizing efforts. It showcases the vital partnership between Southwest BID and DC Central Kitchen in Washington, D.C., which provided essential food services during the pandemic's peak. Another featured initiative is the designation of Fifth Avenue in downtown San Diego as a "slow street," prioritizing pedestrian safety and community interaction over automobile traffic. The exhibition employs multiple media formats—including data infographics, large-scale video installations, digital interactives, and participatory voting activities—to create an engaging, multimedia exploration of alternative urban futures. These interactive elements encourage visitors to actively consider their own preferences for community development and to understand the complex trade-offs involved in urban planning decisions.

The exhibition's physical design embodies the principles it promotes, creating a space for deep understanding and collective reimagining of public space. Suchi Reddy from Reddymade explains that the installation encourages thinking about how diverse communities can come together across economic, geographic, and political boundaries to shape downtowns that truly reflect local needs and aspirations. To support ongoing dialogue, the museum invites organizations nationwide to submit posters highlighting their contributions to downtown revitalization, building an evolving national conversation throughout the exhibition's two-year run. Groups can also apply to use the City Action Hall for their own events and strategy sessions. This initiative positions the National Building Museum as a critical convener in discussions about urban futures, complementing other global architecture exhibitions such as Zaha Hadid Architects' show at MOCAUP in Shenzhen and the Canadian Centre for Architecture's exploration of Chinese architectural biographies.