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Connections
A smiling man with short dark hair wearing a blue button-down shirt and a grey blazer. He is holding a pair of eyeglasses. The word "Connections" appears on the left side of the photo in vertical letters.
Connections

Revisiting the Rochester Urbanarium: Lessons for 2026

By Evan Dawson,
Megan Mack, Julie Williams
Published January 28, 2026 at 3:54 PM EST
Five people wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a man front left has short grey hair and is wearing glasses, a blue pullover, white shirt and blue pants; a man front right has dark hair and is wearing glasses, a grey cardigan sweater, black shirt, beige pants and brown shoes; a woman back left has short grey hair and is wearing glasses and a blue-and-black plaid shirt; a man back right has very short grey hair and is wearing a gray blazer over a white button-down shirt; a man at center has short dark hair and is wearing a black button-down shirt, jeans and sneakers.
1 of 2  — (foreground) William Schwappacher and Justin Murphy, (background) Suzanne Mayer and Simeon Banister with host Evan Dawson on "Connections"
(foreground) William Schwappacher and Justin Murphy, (background) Suzanne Mayer and Simeon Banister with host Evan Dawson on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Wednesday, January 28, 2026
George Yeadon / WXXI News
A woman with very short red hair stands in front of a green wall.
2 of 2  — Liz Call
Liz Call
Provided
WXXI News

Have you heard of the Rochester Urbanarium?

Formed in 1970, the independent citizens' organization was dedicated to helping residents become more engaged with their local government to solve community problems. The founder, Gene DePrez, died last year, but his legacy lives on.

An upcoming symposium celebrates DePrez's work and explores how residents can put the ideas of the Urbanarium into practice today.

Our guests preview the event and discuss what it means to engage with government and each other — and how to encourage more of it.

Connections
Evan Dawson
Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
See stories by Evan Dawson
Megan Mack
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
See stories by Megan Mack
Julie Williams
Julie Williams is an associate producer for "Connections with Evan Dawson." She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.
See stories by Julie Williams