As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold, urban institutions face dynamic demands ranging from internal challenges and needs to serving as an anchor and providing critical support to our communities. We now are beginning to look towards a COVID-19-transformed reality, and developing plans and initiatives to help our campuses and communities recover and re-engage their constituents. This moment has created a window for innovation and rethinking how we work and what we can do. Importantly, it allows us to re-examine and express why urban institutions are crucial now and in the future.