Cities are under attack - politically, ideologically, legislatively, legally, and, in places like Chicago, Los Angeles and Minneapolis, physically. The challenge for all those who govern, shape, live in and love cities is to lean into what makes cities worth protecting.

What is it that makes cities not just withstand, but thrive in crises of pandemic, natural disaster, attack and in the joy and struggle of everyday life?

To answer that question, we must first identify the how, what, and where city residents experience the kind of connection, unity and care that inspires collective action.

NY Wonder City sought to answer this question through groundbreaking research. In the fall of 2025, we convened 2,500+ New Yorkers at two public events – at El Museo del Barrio and Brooklyn Public Library’s Sunset Park branch – gathering 400 stories, 120 videos, 300 photos, 167 dreams, and 60 surveys. We analyzed the data revealing underlying conditions of awe — the infrastructure of awe — and the transformative pathways from everyday experience to connection, civic action and collective well-being.