Overview

The 94th Annual Meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) is one of the most significant gatherings of urban leadership in the country. Held each year to adopt policy resolutions that guide the organization’s national advocacy work, this meeting brings together elected leaders from cities of all sizes to align on the most pressing challenges facing American communities. The 2026 edition is led under the presidency of Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt.

Focus

The meeting centers on bipartisan urban policymaking, with mayors collaborating across political lines to address the affordability and housing crisis, public safety, infrastructure investment, homelessness, climate change, and economic mobility. Long Beach’s role as a major trade gateway and its preparations for the 2028 Olympics make it a particularly fitting backdrop for discussions on urban transformation and city-scale innovation. For architecture and urban design professionals, the policy resolutions adopted here directly shape the built environment of hundreds of American cities.

Highlights

This year’s meeting features the continued momentum of the newly launched Big City Alliance, a coalition of mayors from the nation’s largest cities chaired by Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, focused on peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and collective urban advocacy. Mayors will also share best practices on homelessness solutions, mental health infrastructure, gun violence, and environmental sustainability. Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson will host the conference, showcasing the city’s walkable downtown and its rapid growth as a leading aerospace hub.

Audience

The meeting is attended by mayors and city officials from more than 1,400 U.S. cities with populations of 30,000 or more, alongside policy experts, private sector sponsors, urban planners, infrastructure specialists, and representatives from national advocacy organizations. It is a key event for anyone working at the intersection of governance, architecture, and city-scale urban development.

Event Details

Date: June 4–7, 2026
Location: Long Beach, California, USA
Organizer: United States Conference of Mayors (USCM)
Format: In-person conference with plenary sessions, panel discussions, and working forums

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

Events like the USCM Annual Meeting are a reminder that architecture and urban design do not exist in a vacuum. The policy resolutions passed in conference rooms like these set the tone for zoning reforms, housing typologies, public space investments, and infrastructure planning across hundreds of cities. When mayors gather to discuss homelessness, they are also deciding what kinds of buildings get built, where, and for whom. For the architecture community, following these conversations is not optional — it is essential. Long Beach itself is a compelling case study in urban reinvention: a port city evolving into a model of mixed-use density, transit connectivity, and waterfront activation. Explore how urban design is reshaping cities globally, and discover how interior design is responding to new models of affordable and community-driven living.