The Dallas Institute Festival of Ideas: Roundtable Discussion on American Cities & Suburbs

In each of four separate Arts District venues – different from the Focus Forum venues – approximately 25 participants will gather with each Festival team to continue the discussions of Focus Forums. These are true seminar sessions with the expert panelists and the participants jointly drilling down further to mine new ideas that have been struck during the day.

“American Cities & Suburbs”: David Brooks, with Dr. Gail Thomas and Hon. Ron Kirk, moderated by Rod Dreher.

David Brooks is a regular op-ed columnist for The New York Times and commentator on “The Newshour with Jim Lehrer.” Former op-ed editor of The Wall Street Journal. Author of "Bobos in Paradise: the New Upper Class and How They Got There" and "On Paradise Drive: How We Live Now (And Always Have) in the Future Tense."

Dr. Gail Thomas is founding Director and a Fellow of the Dallas Institute and creator of its Center for the City. Currently, she serves as Executive Director of the Trinity Trust Foundation.

Hon. Ron Kirk is a partner with Vinson and Elkins law firm. During his public career, he served as Mayor of the City of Dallas from 1995 to 2001 and as Texas Secretary of State in 1994.