The conference comes amid a building boom in schools across the country. Elected officials, educators and design experts together will explore school design as an integral component of urban renewal.

"Instead of building schools that can be used only for education, cities now are constructing and rehabilitating buildings to serve multiple community roles," said program director Sharon Haar, UIC assistant professor of architecture. "UIC is the ideal location for this conference. Chicago is a leading city in school building and reform, and the College of Architecture and the Arts has a committed faculty and student body partnering with the city and other public agencies, community organizations, and a wide variety of design firms."

During the conference, participating mayors will present case studies on topics such as new and historical schools in downtown centers, preservation and reuse of historic structures, school reuse in suburban settings, the design of new school buildings and the place of education in mixed-use development.