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CivicCon Janesville

A Community Conversation Series

CivicCon—short for civic conversation—is a community-focused speaker series created to bring residents, businesses and civic leaders together around the ideas shaping Janesville’s future.

Hosted by Forward Janesville, CivicCon provides a space to learn from national experts, explore complex topics, and engage in meaningful dialogue about the opportunities and challenges facing our community.

Next CivicCon: Reaching for the Future — Leading Change

Featuring Tom Murphy, Former Mayor of Pittsburgh

Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026 | 5–8 p.m.

Janesville Performing Arts Center | FREE and Open to the Public

What's next for Janesville — and who will help lead the way?

Join us for our next CivicCon event featuring Tom Murphy, former Mayor of Pittsburgh and a senior fellow at the Urban Land Institute.

Murphy helped lead Pittsburgh through a remarkable economic transformation following the decline of its steel industry. Now, he'll share lessons in vision, leadership and community collaboration that can help Janesville think about its own next chapter.

The evening includes Murphy's presentation, an audience Q&A and an opportunity to connect with the speaker and fellow community members.

Why CivicCon?

At Forward Janesville, we believe business development is community development. The strength of our economy is directly tied to the strength of our community—and that requires thoughtful planning, informed decision-making and engaged citizens.

Many of the issues impacting Janesville’s future—like housing, zoning, workforce and economic growth—don’t have simple solutions. CivicCon was created to:

  • Bring people together for open, constructive dialogue
  • Provide access to expert insights and best practices from across the country
  • Build shared understanding around complex community issues
  • Encourage civic engagement in decisions that shape Janesville’s future

While many Forward Janesville events are member-focused, CivicCon is intentionally free and open to the public to ensure broad community participation.

Learn more about "What Is CivicCon" on our blog

 

Past CivicCon Events

The Affordable City -- May 2026

CivicCon continued with a deeper dive into one of Janesville’s most pressing challenges: housing.

Housing was identified as a top barrier to growth in Forward Janesville’s 2025 Business Retention & Expansion survey and is a key priority in the City of Janesville’s strategic plan. As costs rise and availability remains limited, the need for solutions has never been more urgent.

Shane Phillips, author of The Affordable City: Strategies for Putting Housing Within Reach (and Keeping It There) and housing policy expert from UCLA’s Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies, explored the key drivers of housing affordability, including:

  • Supply: Increasing housing availability and addressing misconceptions about what supply means
  • Stability: Preserving housing and supporting renters
  • Subsidy: The role of public investment and policy

Making Cities: Design Matters -- January 2026

 

Forward Janesville launched CivicCon with a conversation about the role of design, planning and collaboration in shaping thriving communities.

Featuring nationally recognized urban designers Victor Dover and Joe Kohl, the event welcomed nearly 300 attendees and explored how thoughtful design influences:

  • Walkability and neighborhood connectivity
  • Housing diversity and land use
  • Long-term economic and community vitality

The discussion helped establish a shared language around how cities grow—and set the stage for deeper conversations to come.

 

Be Part of the Conversation

CivicCon is more than a speaker series, it’s an opportunity for our community to come together, ask questions, share perspectives and explore solutions.

There is no single answer to the challenges we face. But through learning, dialogue, and collaboration, we can build a stronger, more vibrant Janesville.

We hope you'll join us Nov. 19 — and at future CivicCon events — as we continue exploring the ideas, challenges and opportunities shaping Janesville's future.

 

Thank You to Our CivicCon Series Sponsors

CivicCon is made possible through the generous support of community partners who believe in the power of civic dialogue and informed decision-making.

Thank you to our sponsors:

  • Quint & Rishy Studer
  • Ryan, Inc.
  • Tobin & Oakleigh Ryan
  • The Janesville Gazette
  • SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital - Janesville
  • JP Cullen
  • Massas Investments

Their support helps bring important conversations to our community and ensures these events remain free and accessible to all.

 

Stay Connected

Want to stay informed about future CivicCon events?

  • Follow Forward Janesville on social media
  • Subscribe to our newsletter (an exclusive benefit to Forward Janesville members)
  • Explore upcoming CivicCon events, register to attend and revisit past presentations right here on this page