Zohran Mamdani is the 112th Mayor of New York City, taking office in January 2026 after serving in the New York State Assembly. His administration has drawn particular attention for experimenting with ways to bring organizing and civic participation directly into city government.
On his second day in office, Mamdani established the **Mayor’s Office of Mass Engagement**, charged with organizing New Yorkers to participate in city government and creating new avenues for residents to shape public decisions. The effort grew out of the mass-organizing model of his mayoral campaign and has included initiatives around tenant organizing, rent hearings, and neighborhood engagement.
For *Sidewalk Ballet*, his administration offers an interesting experiment in a larger question: **what happens when government moves beyond asking citizens for feedback and begins actively organizing them to participate in governing?**

https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office

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Field Guide

Project, Civic Engagement, Cities, New York, Mamdani

New York City’s Office of Mass Engagement brings the practices of grassroots organizing into City Hall, seeking to move public engagement beyond meetings and feedback sessions toward sustained participation in governing. Created by Mayor Zohran Mamdani in 2026, the office asks what happens when residents are treated not as an audience for government, but as active participants in it.

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Project, Civic Engagement, Cities, New York, Mamdani

Civic, Community Engagement, Denver, People, Civic Engagement, Warm Cookies of the Revolution

Evan Weissman

Civic, Community Engagement, Denver, People, Civic Engagement, Warm Cookies of the Revolution

Evan Weissman was a Denver-based artist, organizer, and civic provocateur who founded Warm Cookies of the Revolution, a “civic health club” that used art, culture, conversation, and a healthy dose of playfulness to get people engaged in civic life. His work explored how democracy could become something people actively practice together—not simply something they participate in at election time.

Boulder, Placemaking, Youth, People, Civic Engagement

Mara Mintzner

Boulder, Placemaking, Youth, People, Civic Engagement

Mara Mintzer helped found Growing Up Boulder (GUB) in 2009. A passionate advocate for child-friendly cities, Mara presents and writes internationally on the topic of engaging young people in inclusive community planning and development. Her expertise in engaging children and youth in meaningful ways to shape their own cities is requested by government and community organizations around the world.

Featured in Episode 24

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Episodes

Zohran Mamdani

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Featured in Episode 24

Office of Mass Engagement

Boston Office of Civic Organizing