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CNU 28.A Virtual Gathering

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Agenda

Agenda is subject to change. All times displayed are in Eastern time. 

Sessions and events will be added as they are approved. 

  [+] Show Description
    • Monday, June 8, 2020
    •  
      12:00 PM  -  1:00 PM
      Core: Walkable City Rules
      While making more walkable places is a worthy goal in its own right, the concept of walkability may be most useful as a framework for understanding the design decisions, at every scale, that distinguish successful urban places. Join city planner and best-selling author Jeff Speck for a lively discussion of the techniques that new urbanists use to help communities thrive.
      Speakers:
      1:15 PM  -  2:15 PM
      Core: Context-Sensitive Transportation Design
      Across the country, communities must contend with both existing and proposed new roadways that are designed exclusively for vehicular level of service, regardless of where they are or what types of transportation they intend to serve. Yet to support walkable urbanism, streets must be carefully tailored, in order to be appropriate to the specific context they serve. Context-sensitive transportation design addresses the need and purpose of a transportation project, while considering safety and mobility as well as environmental, social, and cultural concerns that the community may have about the project as well. This session will introduce you to this collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to transportation design, which can better serve community values and better support walkable urbanism.
      Speakers:
      1:15 PM  -  2:15 PM
      Core: Urban Economics
      Joe Minicozzi has documented in city after city how conventional suburban development can be fiscally debilitating for local government’s bottom line, and how there has been an ongoing crisis looming, as a substantial amount of suburban infrastructure will come to the end of its life cycle over the next decade. In this session, Joe will discuss how local government fiscal reform can be leveraged to advance great urbanism by understanding the subsidies for the post-WWII suburban experiment.
      Speakers:
      2:30 PM  -  3:30 PM
      Core: Accessory Dwelling Units
      An accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is a simple and old idea: having a second small dwelling on the same grounds (or attached to) a single-family house. While ADUs fell out of favor in the middle of the 20th century, they are now making a comeback. ADUs offer a level of flexibility that makes sense for environmental, lifestyle, and financial reasons. In addition, they meet a growing desire and need for community-oriented living. In this session, Eli Spevak will address the policy, regulatory, design, and development strategies and techniques for creating more ADUs in your community.
      Speakers:
      2:30 PM  -  3:30 PM
      Core: Strong Towns 101
      Charles Marohn explains how so many American cities have found themselves in decline after decades of “growth.” The problem lies in the current model of development—one that values short-term gains over long-term prosperity. To strengthen our cities and ensure their economic success, we must look to traditional ways of building cities. In this presentation, Marohn will explain how active citizens, local officials and design professionals can change the negative trajectory in their towns and help them to become more resilient—no matter what challenges lie ahead.
      Speakers:
      3:45 PM  -  4:45 PM
      Core: Housing Typology
      The fundamental components of neighborhoods are the types of structures that make up the built realm. This session will explore the taxonomic classifications of housing based on the consistent physical forms, rather than particular architectural styles, that have been proven to work time and again. Based on decades of research across the country, Steve Mouzon will provide explanation as well as examples of the common types of housing and the integral characteristics of each type, leading to a broader understanding of the variety of buildings that a complete neighborhood might include.
      Speakers:
    • Tuesday, June 9, 2020
    •  
      12:00 PM  -  1:00 PM
      Core: Intro to Incremental Development
      More than a half-century of contorting regulatory and finance systems to support large single-family homes in the suburbs has made it tough to resupply small-scale housing types (cottage courts, duplexes, quads, etc.) that provided affordable choices before the era of auto dependency. In response, new urbanist practitioners have been exploring strategies in lean, incremental development techniques. This session, led by John Anderson, who is a pioneer of small-scale infill development, will provide an introduction to the incremental development approach and process, and then present case studies linking innovative design, finance, and construction oversight in projects throughout the U.S. Emerging success stories point to the potential for applying similar strategies wherever infill supply/demand gaps are growing.
      Speakers:
      1:15 PM  -  2:15 PM
      Core: Introduction to Missing Middle Housing
      As Missing Middle Housing catches on around the world, the concept and its application is evolving and becoming more sophisticated to meet the housing needs of today’s cities and regions. This session, led by Daniel Parolek, will explore Missing Middle application in a variety of different housing programs, and present strategies for identifying where these types should be enabled. It will also explore opportunities and challenges for large developers looking to take the Missing Middle to scale, building these “new” products to meet the growing demand for housing choice and walkable urban living.
      Speakers:
      2:30 PM  -  3:30 PM
      Core: Tactical Urbanism
      Short-term, community-based projects—from pop-up parks to open streets initiatives—have become a powerful and adaptable tool of urban activists, planners, and policy-makers seeking to drive lasting improvements in their cities and beyond. These quick, low-cost, and creative projects are the essence of the Tactical Urbanism movement. Tactical Urbanism is also being used as a public engagement technique in places across the world. As an engagement tool, it can be used to bring together groups of different ages, incomes, and races who don’t usually come to the table. In this session, Mike Lydon and Anthony Garcia, two founders of the movement, will share an in-depth history of the Tactical Urbanism movement and its place among other social, political, and urban planning trends, case studies, and ideas for conceiving, planning, and carrying out projects, including how to adapt them based on local needs and challenges.
      Speakers:
      2:30 PM  -  3:30 PM
      Core: Zoning and Affordability
      Land use policy and affordability for municipalities, property owners and renters are closely linked. This session will explore how smart and efficient zoning is a critical factor for the economic self sufficiency of municipalities providing amenities and services to their communities. Our call to action empowers policy makers, developers and municipal leaders to advocate for zoning that optimizes housing choice, affordability and equity.
      Speakers:
      3:45 PM  -  4:45 PM
      Core: Urban Retail
      Retail continues to evolve rapidly, responding to shifting demographics, shopping behavior, transportation options and a desire in recent years for more unique shopping environments. This session, led by Seth Harry and Robert Gibbs, will demonstrate how the proven principles of retail development can be combined with the best practices of New Urbanism to create competitive, mixed-use urban town centers, suburban retrofits, and historic downtowns. The session will provide an introduction on programing, planning, and designing sustainable urban retail in downtowns, under-performing shopping centers, and new developments.
      Speakers:
    • Wednesday, June 10, 2020
    •  
      11:30 AM  -  12:45 PM
      Designing for Complexity during a Pandemic
      Walkable mixed-use districts have been one of the key driving forces behind the modern development and growth of cities. They're dense and provide a mix of housing, retail, office, restaurants, bars and mobility options. In short, they're complex. In a normal year it took sophistication and strategy to manage and curate these places, but in the era of COVID-19 that complexity has grown ten-fold. Public health and safety now play a critical role in design, streets and public spaces are being taken back from the car, food and beverage establishments must be web-enriched and delivery/carry out oriented to survive and programming calendars and strategies need to be completely redesigned. This session will include a panel of designers, builders and district managers that will be discussing how tactical urbanism, precise urban design strategies, regulation reforms, activation and management are being used to transform districts in Norfolk, VA. The session will be led by YARD & Company, with panel members from the City of Norfolk, VA; Team Better Block; WPA Architecture and the Downtown Norfolk Council. Retail, streets, programming, safety, recreation, mobility and regulation reform will all be addressed by the panel.
      Speakers:
      11:30 AM  -  12:45 PM
      Finding The Right Way To Do The Right Thing
      In many parts of the U.S., cities face enormous pressure to build more housing, especially in areas with transit access. California’s recent legislation (SB 50) sought to force the issue, proposing to limit the right of municipalities to block mid-rise housing of moderate density in certain districts. Opposition by preservationists and (some) affordable housing advocates has been intense, creating strange alliances and factions, and pitting “nimby” against “yimby”, environmentalist against developer, elected official against resident. This session hones in on the physical form part of this equation. To what extent could these battles be mitigated by a better approach to design? Those against development might simply be reacting to the relentless incursions of large, boxy four and five-story apartments in neighborhoods of very different character – an unlovable building form that the New York Times dubbed “Stumpies.” Our panelists will argue that resident fear about new development might be addressed in specific ways through more appropriate design. Through a better understanding of what makes for good— and bad— infill, our session explores ways to nurture greater acceptance of density and infill.
      Speakers:
      11:30 AM  -  12:45 PM
      The Freeway Fighter's Long Game: How to Get Organized, Stay the Course, and Design the Corridor Your
      Today, the urban freeways that severely damaged the neighborhoods along their corridors are reaching the end of their structural life. Many communities recognize this as an opportunity to transform these corridors into socially and economically valuable places through the removal of the highway. The Highways to Boulevards (H2B) movement is beginning to take greater hold, with eight projects in progress or committed to in the last decade, but the barrier to entry can still be high. This session is a crash course for current and aspiring campaign advocates. Panelists, who are either active campaigners, veterans of campaigns, or transportation professionals, address the best practices for running a H2B campaign, how to incorporate meaningful input from community stakeholders into a design and vision for a corridor, and how to engage with state and local officials so that they champion the campaign’s vision. Campaign advocates from New Orleans, Tampa, and Austin will give Pecha Kucha-style presentations on the activities they’ve undertaken to transform highways into boulevards in their communities, followed by a panel discussion with the audience that features thought leaders in this burgeoning movement.
      Speakers:
      11:30 AM  -  12:45 PM
      Urban Guild: How to Design Buildings People Love
      This session will explain how to design buildings people love by providing a framework for understanding architectural design, identifying the five most critical principles for generating lovable architecture, and showing how those principles are applied to the individual elements of buildings via patterns that have proven to work.
      Speakers:
      1:00 PM  -  2:15 PM
      Equity and Justice in the Built Environment an Existential Threat to the Design Profession
      Now more than ever we need to examine the design professions role in challenging and changing the persistent inequitable systems and policies that govern the capitalization, development, design and implementation of our cities. How can designers become activists for change within our community and profession?
      Speakers:
      1:00 PM  -  2:15 PM
      Projects for People: Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity in 2020 Charter Award Projects
      Great urbanism puts people first. Three of this year’s CNU Charter Award Projects exhibit the variety of ways equity, inclusivity, and diversity can enhance and enrich the urban realm. This session thoughtfully defines terms such as equity, diversity, and inclusion, and highlights how three radically different projects uniquely embody these core values.
      Speakers:
      1:00 PM  -  2:15 PM
      Surviving the Retail Apocalypse: Thoughts on How to Restart Our Country’s Main Streets
      Before COVID-19, social distancing, and stay-at-home advisories, retail faced challenges from online shopping and changing consumer habits. How will retail survive in a post-pandemic world? This discussion will focus on the core principles that make a mixed-use place resilient and what methods we are seeing for restarting. These turbulent times have altered neighborhood centers, main streets, and mixed-use districts throughout the country. Our discussion will bring together leaders in the field of commercial placemaking who have opened restaurants, beer halls, national retail, luxury retail, pop-up retail, micro-retail, food halls, yoga studios, and speakeasies in the service of better retail choices. The discussion will cover the current state of retail, what New Urbanists can do, if anything, about it, and explore how to make a Main Street, mixed-use Project, or neighborhood center more resilient in a post-pandemic world. If you would like to be informed of several Live online discussions being organized prior to CNU by Russell Preston please email retail@principle.us to receive those announcements.
      Speakers:
      2:30 PM  -  3:45 PM
      Health & Housing: Equitable Drivers of Neighborhood Transformation
      Despite decades of community development, inequities are growing, and people of color and people experiencing poverty are more at-risk and vulnerable to mortality and economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on top of pre-existing disparities. This is placing a significant strain on safety, mental health, and for many, causing triggers of past or current traumas. The 10-20 year disparity of life expectancy in many cities underscores the link between place, health, and wealth. As recognized in the Charter, “physical solutions by themselves will not solve social and economic problems, but neither can economic vitality, community stability…be sustained without a coherent and supportive physical framework.” Learn how non-traditional partners including health systems and hospitals are teaming with developers to tackle root causes of the most pervasive, expensive, and preventable health issues. This session will delve into implementation strategies from district to project scale and how holistic interventions can improve outcomes for marginalized groups and entire communities. We will share partnership and financing models with institutions, health plans, and impact investors and insights into their motivations. Case studies including the Sun Valley EcoDistrict in Denver, and the Avondale community transformation in Cincinnati, will share concrete solutions for designing and developing inclusive and resilient communities, how to prioritize physical and mental health needs and integrate resident life programs, and emerging research and evaluation methods that combine health, equity, and resilience approaches.
      Speakers:
      2:30 PM  -  3:45 PM
      New Tools for Urban Resilience
      The climate change clock is ticking. What are the options for urban places to transition quickly enough to survive? Strategies to combat climate change are competing for time and resources, especially with the pandemic response straining budgets, economies, and attention spans. CNU members have historically created bonuses that come with protecting and expanding compact, mixed-use, walkable neighborhoods. But we don't necessarily count, compile, and broadcast those results to prepare for what's next in a time of change. This session will present a number of new tools that communities can use to address climate change, including Code Score, Walk Appeal, the Strong, Prosperous, and Resilient Communities Challenge, and Climate Refugee Maps.
      Speakers:
      2:30 PM  -  3:45 PM
      The End of Single Family Zoning As We Know It?
      Single family zoning is on the ropes. With Minneapolis voting to legalize duplexes and triplexes, Oregon legalizing those plus fourplexes, cottage clusters, and ADUs statewide, and other efforts nationwide, the missing middle housing types are poised to make a comeback. Arthur C. (Chris) Nelson will present a big-picture look at how changing demographics, market demand, building lifespan, and development patterns will drive the need and opportunity to construct more missing middle housing over the coming decades. Joshua McCarty will discuss the municipal fiscal impact of middle housing, and its potential to help your city not go bankrupt. Garlynn Woodsong will quantify the ability of types beyond single family zoning to deliver deeper levels of housing affordability. Eric Kronberg will articulate the real estate developer’s perspective about the challenges and opportunities of constructing missing middle housing types. Ross Chapin will bring it on home with a frank discussion of the challenges of shared-space living, and reveal some of the tips and tricks that can make it or break it in terms of creating functional, live-able, love-able communities. Karen Parolek will join the panel discussion to connect to the Color of Law narrative.
      Speakers:
      2:30 PM  -  3:45 PM
      Urban Guild: Design Issues Update I
      This session will provide a series of 10 minute updates on specific design topics by leading practitioners. It is a great way for people to stay current on the latest and greatest ideas.
      Speakers:
      4:00 PM  -  5:15 PM
      COVID Streets and Transit: Using Tactical Urbanism for Physical Distancing and Transportation
      As transit agencies, local governments, and citizens look for ways to address transportation and safe physical distancing during the COVID-19 quarantine, many of them are turning to the quick-build (Tactical Urbanism) methodology. This approach uses inexpensive, temporary materials and short-term tactics as a way of implementing projects quickly, while longer-term planning takes place. The session will discuss the current state of the practice with regard to what are called Tactical Transit and #COVID19streets projects, specifically for surface transit and open streets projects. The session will feature examples from Minneapolis, Oakland, and Cincinnati.
      Speakers:
      4:00 PM  -  5:15 PM
      Healthy Density: What Covid 19 forces us to confront
      Since 2000, CNU has held conversations about health and design focused on walkability supported by density levels across the transect. Density was seen as an obvious benefit to support mobility and sociability, important elements of a healthy lifestyle. The pandemic calls these assumptions into question asking us to reconsider the density factor and social distancing as part of the health equation. What level and type of street and open space are provided at varying density and what did the crisis teach up about access? What does research tell us about density levels required to support transit and active transport? What does this suggest for our future communities? The panel will discuss minimum to maximum densities and their related types of open space and streets required to make sure these are places that can support safe, healthy living
      Speakers:
      4:00 PM  -  5:15 PM
      Oh, behave! The science behind humans’ buggy decision making, and how to make societal change
      The Nixon Administration published The Cost of Sprawl in 1973. It was ignored, and so was its update in 2000 by Rutgers University. The first CNU Congress was convened in 1993 to address sprawl and offer an alternative to our metastasizing built environment. CNU has held a Congress every year since then to address these challenges and educate people about implementing the principles of the Charter. A missing link is the behavioral science of why humans make decisions, and how – in the face of insurmountable evidence to the contrary – communities make wrong-headed choices. It’s not the market or that individuals aren’t smart, but that our brains make buggy choices. There is a science for studying these patterns to guide better urban design choices and implementation: Applied Behavior Analysis principles.
      Speakers:
      4:00 PM  -  5:15 PM
      Sustaining Engagement during COVID-19: Virtual Community Outreach
      This session explores virtual engagement methods our presenters are utilizing in current public planning processes throughout the Metro Atlanta area. Our team will outline the many tools we have used thus far in virtual engagement including live streams and interactive workshops. Our session will spotlight two small town communities that have utilized incremental and authentic approaches to downtown planning, the cities of Dallas and Auburn, Georgia. Both cities are participating in the Livable Center Initiative planning program which is partially funded by the Atlanta Regional Commission. This session will investigate how regional and local leadership and consultants can work together to help public participation succeed in the throes of a pandemic with some valuable lessons learned along the way.
      Speakers:
      5:30 PM  -  7:00 PM
      Achieving Health and Longevity with the Built Environment
      Building on a life’s worth of interest in health and longevity, Dan Buettner’s Blue Zones organization has studied hundreds of communities to determine that oldest, healthiest people in the world reside in places with strong adherence to new urbanist principles. Reflect on new research that draws a strong connection between new urban principles and health and assess how the built environment can help the US achieve health and wellness goals across generations.
      Speakers:
      7:00 PM  -  8:30 PM
      Great Lakes - Great Debates

      Everyone loves a good debate about urbanism. Join the CNU Chapters of the Great Lakes Region (Midwest, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin) and participate in the greatest online debate in CNU history. Pre-selected debaters will challenge each other on a topic and the audience gets to vote on who is the victor.

      Event Link

      Speakers:
      7:00 PM  -  8:30 PM
      Local Government Gathering

      Join with fellow Local Government colleagues for a virtual happy hour! Municipal employees and elected officials will have the opportunity to meet and connect with each other, kicked off by members of the CNU Local Government Task Force, and possibly a special guest or two! Updates will focus on work being done by CNU to engage and support local governments, and then conversation will be turned over to the group to explore further opportunities for growth, outreach, and support.

      Event Link

      Speakers:
      7:00 PM  -  8:30 PM
      Northeast Corridor Chapters' Meet-Up

      Meet Up with all the Northeast Corridor chapters: New England, New York, Washington, the subchapters (like Western New York) and maybe some surprise visitors.

      Event Link

      Speakers:
      8:30 PM  -  10:00 PM
      Virtual Pub Crawl

      Join together with fellow New Urbanists in an exercise of randomness. Joe Minicozzi and Matt Lambert have organized a cast of personalities to recreate the pub crawl experience. To many of us, the pub crawl is a time to briefly catch up with friends but primarily becomes a series of conversations with strangers, many of whom become new friends. Throughout the night both newcomers and well-known personalities collide, and unexpected conversations ensue. Relying on Zoom’s random breakout rooms, attendees will be shuffled around between virtual rooms to meet each other, friends, and even New Urbanist heroes, much like the pub crawl has become. Bring your sense of adventure - and humor - along with your best virtual backgrounds. The event is being hosted on the West Coast, so come early or late - we have all night - pop-in and out, just like the real thing.

      Event Link

      Speakers:
    • Thursday, June 11, 2020
    •  
      7:00 AM  -  11:00 AM
      CNU 28 Running with Urbanists - a virtual event

      In honor of CNU 28.A Virtual Gathering we are continuing the Running with Urbanist morning fun run tradition on both Thursday and Friday mornings and encourage you all to get out and do so as well. As we like to say there's no better way to start off a full day of learning and networking at the Congress for the New Urbanism. Please feel free to submit photos and videos from your personal outings to this event page and John will mash 'em up to produce a fun video to be shared with the group and the Congress, as is also our tradition.

      For more information, please visit the event site.

      Speakers:
      11:30 AM  -  12:45 PM
      Art Room: The Art of Observing and Analyzing the City - Plein Air Techniques
      Leading practitioners will provide helpful how-to tips and demonstrations of techniques for urban observational and analytical sketching, painting and photography.
      Speakers:
      11:30 AM  -  12:45 PM
      Best of Intentions: Stationing Equity in Transit-Oriented Development
      We are victims of our own success. We are victims of our own success. Over the past three decades, institutional and private finance have embraced efforts to center compact, vibrant, livable communities around transit infrastructure. Unfortunately, now that transit-oriented development (TOD) has become a viable investment strategy, even the best-intentioned efforts can lead to the displacement of the most vulnerable existing residents to transit-, food-, and job-scarce areas. Does equitable transit-oriented development (eTOD) provide a solution? This open discussion will build on local and national perspectives to explore what is working and which changes to policy, finance, and planning are needed to guarantee that sustainable, transit-oriented communities can offer a stable home for people of all incomes, focusing on TODs throughout the Twin Cities region.
      Speakers:
      11:30 AM  -  12:45 PM
      Disassembling the Charrette
      Cities are changing rapidly and with that the traditional approaches to design and engagement should be changing with them. The design charrette has been a staple of the planning and design field for decades and while many of the principles behind the process still have relevance, some of the long-utilized tactics need to be thrown out and re-imagined. Engaging communities leading up to a charrette, implementing an active charrette model with a focus on testing ideas, and short-term inclusive implementation following the charrette will all be discussed during this session. Four experienced practitioners will highlight examples of their work from places like Memphis, Tennessee; Ft. Wayne, Indiana; Detroit, Michigan and other midwestern and rustbelt cities. These case studies will show how these new approaches to design, engagement and implementation are creating real positive outcomes and immediate change in places with limited demand. Following the short presentations there will be an active audience conversation that will be moderated by YARD & Company.
      Speakers:
      11:30 AM  -  12:45 PM
      Elected Women and Community Design
      100 years ago this coming August, women’s right to vote in local elections was ratified. However, it took decades until women began running for office in meaningful numbers. For women of color in office, the path to elected office has been even more challenging. Of the 1,366 mayors of U.S. cities with populations over 30,000, only 300, or 22.0%, are women. These numbers show that the idea of women in local government is still uncommon and somewhat radical. Local governments have the power to make policy that affects citizens on a daily basis in ways that, at times, state and federal officials do not. From community planning efforts to infrastructure projects, decisions are made by a majority of men on councils or commissions in local government. Cities thrive on economic, socio, and cultural diversity, both the diversity of those who are making the decisions and diversity of the communities who make our cities what they are. This panel will discuss the importance of diversity in decision making and governing, and its impact on community design. Three women will share their experiences of running for office and their personal impact and perspective on community design policy.
      Speakers:
      1:00 PM  -  2:15 PM
      A Tale of Two Cities: An Urban Response to Inequality After a Pandemic
      There has been much speculation about post pandemic urbanism and much of it is a New Urbanist dream. We see renewed appreciation of public realms, social spaces and neighborhood services. Streets are rebalanced to support walking and biking. More missing middle housing is built in lively mixed-use neighborhoods that enable us to work from home. But this future may leave too many of us behind. The pandemic has made obvious the inequality in our cities, and our response may deepen these disparities. People with means may abandon downtowns and urban neighborhoods, entrenching segregation and undoing the recent revitalization of our urban centers. Capital investment may steer toward new suburban development and favor large developers and big projects. The private auto may become the preferred mode of travel, while transit is left to those with little choice. Service jobs may disappear as automation accelerates to remove human contact. How can New Urbanists advocate for a better outcome? How can we ensure the benefits of New Urbanism are spread evenly and equitably in a post pandemic response? In this conversation we will explore effective courses of action for practitioners, developers, government officials, and the CNU as a whole.
      Speakers:
      1:00 PM  -  2:15 PM
      Dealing with Divided Communities Virtually and In-Person
      This session provides practical, on-the-ground skills to address a vexing problem we all share: how to work within divided, contentious community meetings and projects where level-headed solutions are secondary to political positions. The session draws on the work of the Consensus Building Institute and the National Charrette Institute. The session will cover tools and tactics for facilitating contentious in-person meetings as well as web-based participation.
      Speakers:
      1:00 PM  -  2:15 PM
      Delivering on Place: Post-COVID Retail Strategies
      Even before COVID-19, e-commerce was reshaping retail. That transformation quickly prioritized experience in communal settings that are now off limits due to a highly transmissible virus. With widespread isolation, shoppers are turning to online shopping for goods, groceries and food. At the same time, new delivery technologies are enabling fast, free and contactless deliveries. As the virus subsides, many changes will lie in its wake for retailers large and small. There are many questions as to whether consumers will stick to online shopping, or rediscover the attraction of gathering spaces, albeit in phases.This session looks at trends in supply chains, retail, delivery technology to examine relationships with community design and placemaking. From this examination, speakers will address strategies and levers that include phasing scenarios, urban design, and infrastructure needed to reinstate a healthy use mix and community gathering places.
      Speakers:
      1:00 PM  -  2:15 PM
      Does Placemaking Pay Off?
      Is it possible to build a place that people can fall in love with, and still make money? How much of a premium are people willing to pay to live somewhere special? Do the investments required to design & build beautiful places increase the value enough to take the risk? Are there amenities that increase the ROI if they go in early? How can I shift the conversation from cost per square foot to lifestyle and living better? Join a panel discussion that seeks to answer these and other important questions about the financial implications and payoff of placemaking. Is it possible to build a place that people can fall in love with, and still make money? How much of a premium are people willing to pay to live somewhere special? Do the investments required to design & build beautiful places increase the value enough to take the risk? Are there amenities that increase the ROI if they go in early? How can I shift the conversation from cost per square foot to lifestyle and living better? Join a panel discussion that seeks to answer these and other important questions about the financial implications and payoff of placemaking.
      Speakers:
      2:30 PM  -  3:45 PM
      Advancing New Urbanism 4 Local Governments
      Every community is unique. The design, layout, and construction of human habitats is facilitated through the regulations of local governments. The rules of local governments are, more often than not, supporting the creation of placeless, disappointing, and wasteful developments. Combatting the status quo of regulations must start with informed local governments. This session will provide a fun and interactive platform for attending local governments to connect with other local governments and leading experts. Topics will be created and expanded upon through input from the attendees. Themes from conversations will form around different issues, geographies or other patterns developed from the input and involvement of attendees. A few core topics will be preselected which many communities face. Information posters explaining why, how and who is needed to modify the regulation will be created and shared. These posters will help inform other topics being discussed and will provide a flow for information. Participants will leave the session being able to understand why, who, and how to approach the situation they face to advance new urbanism in their community.
      Speakers:
      2:30 PM  -  3:45 PM
      Open Innovations Building Community One Step at a Time
      In this Open Innovations Session, join speakers as they deliver lightning-round presentations and then engage in discussion.
      Speakers:
      2:30 PM  -  3:45 PM
      Successfully Implementing Form-Based Codes
      Form-based codes have been in modern use for forty years now, and have touched over 650 units of government. From the first developer-driven codes, to the complex municipal unified development ordinances of today, there has been significant change. As local governments come to see the environmental, health, and economic benefits of FBCs, the demand is rising, and it’s time to check in and see how we’re doing.Frequently the codes being adopted are becoming overly complex, with layers of potentially conflicting regulations that are difficult to administer or implement. At the same time, creative innovations in coding are also being observed.Participants will review both the opportunities and the threats within current FBC practice during this advanced working forum, which is designed to review the current state of coding implementation.
      Speakers:
      2:30 PM  -  3:45 PM
      What Tactical Urbanism Can Teach Us in Reopening Our Public Spaces
      In the face of COVID-19, municipalities are struggling to reopen their economies and support small businesses. Tactical urbanism has been recreating the public realm for the past 15 years and has many lessons to offer in terms of parking space and lot conversion into additional dining, retail and public spaces. What regulatory path supporting what types of projects, based on the lessons of tactical urbanism, should be followed in order to re-open and reorder public space? This talk will address these issues through discussions of: (1) tactical urbanism case studies; (2) metrics for success for tactical urbanism projects and participatory methods; (3) the intersection of tactical urbanism methods and rethinking public spaces during COVID-19; (4) how to implement tactical urbanism projects and regulatory systems that support a reopening and rethinking of public space during COVID-19.
      Speakers:
      4:00 PM  -  5:15 PM
      How the Virus Is Changing Home and Neighborhood Design for the Future
      The leaders of firms from four separate regions of the country will discuss the impact of Covid-19, and how the pandemic is changing the design of housing and other buildings in our neighborhoods – from single-family to high-rise mixed-use development. The four leading practitioners of walkable urbanism – from Allison/Ramsey, Robert AM Stern and Associates, Torti Gallas + Partners, and Union Studio - are all adjusting their work given the Coronavirus pandemic, from incorporating touchless solutions to addressing social isolation and new technological and logistical requirements such as multi-family package management. These firms’ work traverse the entire Transect, so the practitioners will compare and contrast virus containment challenges from transit-served cities to those in less dense communities. The firms’ leaders will also discuss how the virus has impacted their professional practices, and what long-term impacts they see to their firms going into the future.
      Speakers:
      4:00 PM  -  5:15 PM
      New Urbanist Communities are Built on Transportation
      The best New Urbanist communities are built on strong transportation networks with people-oriented streets, reliable transit, and safe transportation options. Unfortunately, long-standing rules, practices, and assumptions not only make it difficult to provide good urban transportation, but they also often deter urban development. This session will draw on original research and best practices from around the U.S., highlighting lessons and opportunities for building stronger communities through transportation.
      Speakers:
      4:00 PM  -  5:15 PM
      Quantifying Incremental Change
      We all know the saying, "what gets measured, gets managed." When presenting future plans, though, we rarely dive deep into the financial aspects of change – both public and personal. This session will discuss specifically what to measure, and how measurements were completed on recent planning projects promoting incremental, urban development.
      Speakers:
      4:00 PM  -  5:15 PM
      Urban Guild: There is Density and There is Crowding
      How the design of apartment buildings can be welcomed by a society threatened by pandemic.
      Speakers:
      5:30 PM  -  7:00 PM
      Building Access and Affordability through Mobility Planning
      Mobility innovations are taking place in cities across the country–in some cases improving access to diversified modes of transportation, and in others exacerbating already tense conversations about affordability. On Thursday, June 11th, urban designer and planner Eric Shaw will moderate a discussion between transportation entrepreneur Robin Chase and architect Peter Calthorpe as they discuss the importance of integrating transportation, affordability, and mobility into the way we plan our cities and neighborhoods.
      Speakers:
      7:00 PM  -  8:30 PM
      Cafe Austin

      CNU's hottest mixed-use club is Cafe Austin. Club planners CNU-CTX and CNU Houston have thought of everything: cafe seating, human scaled signature cocktails with those little umbrellas, vibrant musicians, big cats. . .you know. . .complete communities.

      Please join them for an evening of bespoke urban cocktails mixed by your favorite New Urbanism luminaries and live music from Austin, Texas brought to you by Black Fret. Donations encouraged to support musicians.

      Event Link

      Speakers:
      7:00 PM  -  8:30 PM
      CNU Florida Happy Hour at Virtual Seaside

      Join your CNU Florida friends at Bud & Alley’s, the Seaside Pavilion, the Lyceum, and other iconic places as we celebrate CNU’s first virtual Congress. Special guest presentation by architect Dhiru Thadani, author of ‘Visions of Seaside.’ BYOB.

      Event Link: To be provided

      Speakers:
      7:00 PM  -  8:30 PM
      Notre Dame Alumni Reception

      Join Dean Michael Lykoudis and others for an alumni and friends reception. Learn about how the School finished the semester remotely and reconnect with your fellow alumni.

      Event Link

      Speakers:
    • Friday, June 12, 2020
    •  
      7:00 AM  -  11:00 AM
      CNU 28 Running with Urbanists - a virtual event

      In honor of CNU 28.A Virtual Gathering we are continuing the Running with Urbanist morning fun run tradition on both Thursday and Friday mornings and encourage you all to get out and do so as well. As we like to say there's no better way to start off a full day of learning and networking at the Congress for the New Urbanism. Please feel free to submit photos and videos from your personal outings to this event page and John will mash 'em up to produce a fun video to be shared with the group and the Congress, as is also our tradition.

      For more information, please visit the event site.

      Speakers:
      11:30 AM  -  12:45 PM
      The City Under Strain: Where our belief in cities meets a national crisis
      The coronavirus pandemic has brought to light a number of ways in which our society has consistently failed so many of its residents. Though this failing isn’t new, it is the first time many have had to confront it in headlines and on frontpages week after week. Are cities doomed? Will we ever return to ‘normal’? How can we work to build cities that work for more people when so many continue to suffer? Join award winning journalists Allison Arieff and Emily Badger as they discuss reimagining the way that cities can function, the extreme inequities uncovered by this crisis, and what fundamental elements of our lives may change or remain the same.
      Speakers:
      1:00 PM  -  2:15 PM
      In Pursuit of Design Excellence in the Heartland
      Over the last 25 years, the population in Northwest Arkansas has more than doubled – and is expected to double again by 2040 – creating opportunities and challenges in planning and design. As part of a broader effort to preserve the region’s sense of place during a period of rapid growth, the Walton Family Foundation launched the Northwest Arkansas Design Excellence Program – an initiative that promotes the highest level of design in the development of public buildings and spaces.The Northwest Arkansas Design Excellence Program uniquely tackles the impact the shift of rapid growth has on communities in the American Heartland, focusing on elevating design in downtowns across an entire region and ensuring its projects complement the rich architectural history of the community’s urban fabric. Since its launch in 2015, the program is supporting 13 design projects in the region’s five largest downtowns. Through the program, Northwest Arkansas organizations have access to nearly 70 architecture, landscape architecture and urban design firms representing 15 states, the District of Columbia, Canada and Denmark.During the session, attendees will hear from the philanthropic sector, design professionals and participating clients.
      Speakers:
      1:00 PM  -  2:15 PM
      New Urban Research: Law, Economy, and the Built Environment
      What do we need to know about the success, failure, and future prospects of creating walkable, diverse urbanism? The papers in this session represent the cutting edge of research in the intersection of economic factors, legal frameworks, and the built environment. They examine the modern American laws that are a boon to cars, but impediment to walkable places, the single-family market trends in the New Urbanist community of Seaside, and an inventory of sidewalks in American cities. Come hear the panelists present their research and its implications for how we build great places.
      Speakers:
      1:00 PM  -  2:15 PM
      Redressing Redlining: Lessons in realities and reconciliation Part I of II
      In the 1930s the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC), a federal government agency, mapped cities around the United States, including Minneapolis, according to the perceived financial risk associated with a neighborhood as determined by local real estate interests. Neighborhoods were color-coded as green for “best,” blue for “still desirable,” yellow for “declining,” and red for “hazardous.” These classifications were based on the housing conditions, access to amenities, proximity to pollution, the economic class and ethinic and racial make-up of residents. Although HOLC ceased originating new loans in 1935, its mapping methods proved influential to the mortgage industry and became the economic cornerstone of later de facto segregation. In the Twin Cities, as in cities across the country, the criteria originally used in HOLC redlining maps was also institutionalized in local land use regulation in the post-war era, where it often remains to this day. Join local and national experts on policy, history, and law to learn about the history and intricacies of racist land use policies that denied people of color access to credit, suppressed and reduced property value in communities of color, and protected and boosted property value in white neighborhoods. This panel is Part I of a two-part series on redlining.
      Speakers:
      1:00 PM  -  2:15 PM
      Urban Guild: How to Design Neighborhoods People Love
      This session will explain how to design neighborhoods people love by providing a framework for understanding urban design, the process for addressing the four elements of neighborhood structure, and the process for calibrating the four elements of neighborhood character at the level of the block.
      Speakers:
      2:30 PM  -  3:45 PM
      Applying the Charter to Large Infill Sites: Re-weaving the Urban Fabric in Saint Paul
      Large redevelopment sites are rare in built-up cities like Saint Paul. Yet, there are currently two sites planned for significant development within city borders: the 123-acre former Ford plant and a 34.5-acre shopping center/former bus maintenance facility surrounding a new soccer stadium. The Ford site is planned to be a mixed-use, 21st century neighborhood, with a range of housing types and prices, connected street system that accommodates all modes, robust jobs component, centralized stormwater system, and parks and open space. When fully built out, it will contain 3,800 housing units, 265,000 square feet of office space, and 150,000 square feet of retail uses. The Snelling-Midway Master Plan envisions a new urban village surrounding Allianz Field that includes retail, office, residential and public open space uses. This session will explore how the principles of the Charter of the New Urbanism are being applied on these sites.
      Speakers:
      2:30 PM  -  3:45 PM
      Innovative Coding Approaches
      Municipalities across the country are facing an uncertain policy and process landscapes, as policymakers adapt to stop the spread of COVID-19. An important lesson learned during the Great Recession of 2008 is that now is the time for cities and towns to plan for the development they want to have once economic activity is more certain. Laying the groundwork for future development by providing the right regulatory framework is something we can begin immediately. In this session, attendees will learn about innovative approaches to code reform that have helped enable great placemaking. Hear about the B3 Code from Bastrop, TX, designed to create complete neighborhoods with focused & limited regulations, learn about the Pattern Zones approach that uses pre-approved building plans to lower barriers to infill development, and explore more broadly the concept of incrementally working to simplify your codes with examples from CNU's Project for Code Reform national program.
      Speakers:
      2:30 PM  -  3:45 PM
      Parking Reform: From theory to practice
      "Donald Shoup began publishing papers on parking policy more than 40 years ago, including The High Cost of Free Parking (2005). The impacts of parking policy on housing, climate change, and traffic are widely recognized, but still only a handful of large American cities have implemented Shoup’s prescription of no parking minimums, performance-based parking management, and parking benefit districts.In the marketplace of public policy, the best ideas aren’t guaranteed winners. Moving a reform from theory to practice can take years of work from researchers, practitioners, advocates, organizers, and politicians.This panel will share their experience in developing, promoting, and implementing parking reforms, demonstrating successful endeavors as well as failed projects and works still in-progress. Participants will explore what worked and what didn’t, leaving attendees better prepared to wage their own parking reform campaigns."
      Speakers:
      2:30 PM  -  3:45 PM
      Receiver Cities – Adapting for Climate Migration
      As climate change creates a less predictable future with extensive catastrophic flooding from heavy rains, increasing fire frequency, longer periods of drought, unseasonal blizzards, longer-lasting heat waves, and rising sea levels, where is considered “a nice place to live” is shifting. Traditionally, focus has been placed on helping impacted communities become more resilient to the impacts of climate change. This session will instead focus on identifying and preparing Receiver Cities to accommodate population migration as it continues to increase . Presenters will recap the work that has been happening over the past 3 years, as well as provide a forum to engage new contributors in the implementation phase. Presenters will share how their work is contributing to the Receiver City model that will be used to support target cities in 2020-2021 to be better equipped to receive people looking for a safer, more resilient, "climate ready" city in which to live.
      Speakers:
      4:00 PM  -  5:15 PM
      Housing Advocacy Amid the Affordability Crisis
      As housing prices rose in the late 2010s, a growing body of scholarly commentary argued that the solution to this problem was to change zoning law to allow more housing in cities. But because of Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY) neighborhood resistance, housing supply in high-cost cities continued to lag behind job growth. In some cities (especially in the West Coast) a Yes In My Back Yard (YIMBY) movement seeks to translate economic scholarship into zoning reform. Some scholars seek to split the difference between NIMBYs and YIMBYs, arguing for Public Housing In My Back Yard (PHIMBY)- a set of policies that promote public housing but not market-rate housing.
      Speakers:
      4:00 PM  -  5:15 PM
      Open Innovations Weaving Resilient Communities
      In this Open Innovations Session, join speakers as they deliver lightning-round presentations and then engage in discussion.
      Speakers:
      4:00 PM  -  5:15 PM
      Saint Paul on the Mississippi Development Framework: A City through Public/Private Partnerships
      City of Saint Paul leadership conceived and implemented an approach to city-making that stands as the "best of class." Starting with the Mayor, the City engaged the best thought leaders on city building, established design principles, gained the support of major business leadership - and brought it to life with an active, engaged Design Center. Hear from the principals involved in the political, public and private sectors, and see the outcomes and hear the metrics.
      Speakers:
      4:00 PM  -  5:15 PM
      The Post-Pandemic Neighborhood: Implications for the Built Environment from a Multidisciplinary
      In this session, a diverse panel of experts affiliated with the American Planning Association, Urban Land Institute, and Urbanism Next Center at University of Oregon will take a multidisciplinary approach in examining the impacts of COVID-19 on the built environment. The crisis provides the opportunity to enhance communities’ urban design and vitality. As residents spend more at home, the role of the neighborhood will expand. Decision makers will need to determine how to provide services and amenities for residents within a reasonable travel time or walking distance, including restaurants, retail, financial and professional services, day-care centers, and health and fitness centers, as well as public open space. How can community design principles be applied to create places that are ultimately healthier and more equitable than they were before? By assembling a panel that is both demographically diverse as well as representative of the different built environment disciplines, our goal is to provide the audience with an opportunity to “see the forest through the trees.” This session will be also designed to be interactive with opportunities for audience engagement through real-time polling, chat features, and a moderated Q&A.
      Speakers:
      5:30 PM  -  6:45 PM
      Art Room: The Artful Design of Historic Twin Cities’ Neighborhood Streets
      The neighborhoods of St Paul and Minneapolis boast an exquisite collection of historic American neighborhood streets. In this session we will use sketching to analyze the key forms, proportions and compositional arrangements of both architecture and landscape elements. We will then explore how the principles employed by the designers of this fine historic fabric can improve the composition of new neighborhood streets today.
      Speakers:
      5:30 PM  -  6:45 PM
      Redressing Redlining: Lessons in realities and reconciliation Part II of II
      As a follow up to Part I, Part II of the redlining panel establishes that the systematic exclusion from capital had enduring consequences for the people and properties affected. These policies and practices suppressed mixed-use and mixed income development, and contributed to stark wealth disparities all of which altered the fabric of urban neighborhoods. Redlining was only the beginning of decades of policy that shaped the spatial distribution of wealth with surgical precision. Come learn about the present-day impacts of redlining and other racist development practices in Minneapolis from a financial and political perspective and hear what the City is doing to redress injustices and bolster social and fiscal well-being.
      Speakers:
      5:30 PM  -  6:45 PM
      The coming of AV’s: What about our cities is changing and how do we react?
      Global automakers are pouring billions of dollars into autonomous vehicles. Their first self-driving prototypes are already on the street, picking up passengers, carrying freight, and sometimes killing people. Passively waiting to see what automakers deliver, and how they propose to reshape our streets, is inadequate. Leading cities are taking action to harness the capabilities of autonomous vehicles and rein in their potential to cause serious harm. This session will bring together leaders in transportation and city design to share and discuss the latest strategies: from reshaping streets, to reforming policies, to restructuring taxes and fees. We’ll share highlights from NACTO’s recently released Blueprint for Autonomous Urbanism, 2nd Edition, and other recently implemented city policies, and invite you to review and critique them. We also want to hear from you to help shape CNU’s policy platform on autonomous vehicles. What do we have to add to the national conversation?
      Speakers:
      7:00 PM  -  8:30 PM
      Cayala Conversations - Theme - Dress Like Leon Krier

      CNU California, Utah and Cascadia Chapters - Themed Virtual Gathering. Hear about the happenings in Cayala, Guatemala from Leon Krier featuring Cayala Conversations hosted by Howard Blackson, Chair of the CNU-California Chapter. No ordinary virtual social as this comes with a theme - Dress Up Like Leon Krier.

      Event Link

      Speakers:
      7:00 PM  -  8:30 PM
      CNU South Meetup

      Meetup for urbanists in Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi to catch up with friends, talk about ongoing projects, and discuss the opportunity to form a CNU South Chapter.

      Event Link

      Speakers:
      8:00 PM  -  10:00 PM
      CNUSW Virtual Social Hour and Trivia

      History, Principles, Transect, Coding, Green Infrastructure, Transportation--Join the lean band of desert urbanists for an evening of physically distant, socially connected saucy hour with virtual trivia, awarding prizes for winners! Connect to gameplay with Zoom and Kahoot!, linking here and here. Enjoy responsibly!

      Event Link

      Speakers:
      8:30 PM  -  10:00 PM
      CNU West Round Table Discussion

      Optimum Polycentric Growth: Lessons from Portland's Regional Laboratory

      A follwup to the CNU West (CA, Cascadia, Utah) social event with a round table discussion

      Event Link

      Speakers:
    • Saturday, June 13, 2020
    •  
      11:30 AM  -  12:45 PM
      Advanced Coding for Better Built Outcomes
      While sprawl remains the prevailing growth pattern across the United States despite its economic inefficiencies and environmental unsustainability, there are alternatives to sprawl and examples of successful sprawl-retrofit. We now have decades of CNU-inspired trial-and-error to learn from, and the session will discuss new communities and sprawl-repair using built-examples and the form-based codes (FBCs) behind them. FBCs are increasingly focused on the climate crisis and require renewable energy, water reuse, and climate adaptation while continuing their traditional role of helping facilitate car-optional lifestyles which involve more cycling and walking. Built examples show what is possible when it comes to repairing auto-only suburbs and creating more livable and eco-sensitive communities.
      Speakers:
      11:30 AM  -  12:45 PM
      Interweaving Natural and Urban Networks: Mid-block Passages and Urban Transport
      How do we interlace urban and rural place networks within close proximity in neighborhood and block planning neither segregating them nor suburbanizing either? This session reprises a popular session from CNU 27 Louisville, exploring how urban blocks can interweave pedestrian passages, capillary courtyards, courtyard housing, mid-block internal greenways, “woonerfs”, and cottage “closes” in a variety of contexts from rural to very urban. This session proposes an innovative design process for bringing natural and people-made networks together at all scales, from the block to the city, while reinforcing the timeless concept of the urban-rural transect. This notion of natural pedestrian "sanctuaries" within larger urban blocks leads us to a new diagram for an ideal urban street and block network we call “Scales of Community". Humans require analogue, local, social interaction on a normal basis, but especially in times of broad social crises such as pandemics. Social distancing need not mean social isolation and segregation. Social distancing should mean the appropriate distance that limits the spread of viruses, but enables the personal interactions and support of neighbors, especially in times of crisis. Our pedestrian passages through inner blocks, or front porches along sidewalks achieve the appropriate layered distances between neighbors while reinforcing essential, small-scale, neighborly support groups.
      Speakers:
      11:30 AM  -  12:45 PM
      The Downtown Riverfront Visions of Minneapolis and Saint Paul: Catalyzing Development through Waterf
      In both Saint Paul and Minneapolis, reconnecting to the Mississippi River has been an urban design and development priority for the past 30+ years, and has been a core principle for downtown revitalization. Both cities have benefitted from strong, community-based, market-responsive visions that captured the unique settings, character, and political and economic environments of each city. In Saint Paul, two visions - the Saint Paul on the Mississippi Development Framework, released in 1997, and the Great River Passage Master Plan, adopted in 2013 - have guided the City's efforts to celebrate the river, and use it as a catalyst for adjacent private and public realm development. In Minneapolis, after decades of removing railroads, breaking up super blocks and remediating land, new housing, offices and parks now populate the central riverfront. RiverFirst, the latest effort at reclaiming the river's edge, is a generational vision for transforming 5.5 miles of once-industrial Mississippi Riverfront into a regional economic engine, and world-class cultural and recreational destination.
      Speakers:
      11:30 AM  -  12:45 PM
      The Retail Apocalypse – Debunking the Myth
      The ‘retail apocalypse’ is and remains a myth - and that will continue to bode well for new towne centres and traditional downtowns. A Google search for the so-called "retail apocalypse" generates more than 13 million results. Even so, brick-and-mortar retail was actually continuing to grow up to the current economic crisis and pre-pandemic data actually forecast a confident future for urban and town planners, developers, investors, and merchants. Our presenters will engage in a lively discussion about how the changing lifestyles of migrating households will generate new opportunities for cities and urban places of all sizes. It is essential to debunk the myth of the “retail apocalypse” and change the dialogue about the future of retail nationwide, in our downtowns, and all urban settings. By challenging mainstream media and shifting the conversation, new faith and encouragement can be instilled for many of our colleagues across many overlapping professions.
      Speakers:
      1:00 PM  -  2:15 PM
      A Strategy to Deliver Decarbonization by 2050
      After more than ten years of debate, the New Urbanist movement is still struggling to define a meaningful role in tackling the climate mitigation emergency. While the nested crises of inequality and pandemic­ have understandably taken center stage, the climate crisis will not solve itself, urbanism has a key role to play, and the clock is ticking loudly. To spark a lively debate this session lays out a 30-year strategic timeline to transition away from fossil fuels. And to light a path forward for New Urbanists this session poses three critical questions (and answers): 1) How can we transform urbanism and transportation systems to not rely on fossil fuels? (The Decarbonization Theory of Change (DTOC) 2) Exactly how is urbanism dependent on fossil fuels and what changes have the fastest and largest impact? (Minnesota Carbon Models) and 3) What tools and techniques can help urbanists implement decarbonization plans? (Ecodistricts Protocol) This interactive session will lead participants on a personal journey to take a fresh and critical look at their work, to clarify their role in decarbonization (stopping the burning of fossil fuels), and identifying the networks and partnerships to support this transition. Do not miss this conversation!
      Speakers:
      1:00 PM  -  2:15 PM
      Learning From Abroad: Scaling-up to address growth, quality of place, & shelter in the 21st Century
      The European industrial revolution drastically changed the landscape of major cities from Paris to Rome and Berlin. Massive migration forced new housing to be built, integrated into the existing urban fabric, making naturally affordable well-designed neighborhoods. Rebuilding after WWII, the same cities adopted a different model: high-rise sprawl, which gave them the unhealthy ring of isolated, car-dependent, and placeless neighborhoods that encircle and suffocate beautiful old centers. This model remains a popular one, despite its flaws. In this session, the panel will discuss the relevance of these development patterns to modern population growth, post-conflict reconstruction, rural to urban migration, and the millions of refugees affecting cities everywhere. How can we address the issues of housing the burgeoning global population? What can new urbanism offer as an alternative to that which ignores place, scale, culture, and traditions? Learning from both the US and Europe, this session will set up a future Learning From Abroad series at the Congress.
      Speakers:
      1:00 PM  -  2:15 PM
      Open Innovations Creating Lovable Places
      In this Open Innovations Session, join speakers as they deliver lightning-round presentations and then engage in discussion.
      Speakers:
      1:00 PM  -  2:15 PM
      Urban Guild: Design Issues Update II
      This session will provide a series of 10 minute updates on specific design topics by leading practitioners. It is a great way for people to stay current on the latest and greatest ideas
      Speakers:
      2:30 PM  -  3:45 PM
      Innovations in Design and Mobility
      In February, CNU hosted a pair of workshops, one in Seaside, FL, the other in Buffalo, NY, to explore the widespread introduction of new transportation technologies that are coming and how cities can start planning for their arrival now. Both workshops sought to understand how places as diverse as a coastal corridor in Florida and a mid-sized Rust Belt city in New York can leverage new modes of travel like autonomous vehicles and micro mobility to address existing mobility issues. At the same time, they also recommended implementable solutions that prioritized community development and a vibrant public realm. Come hear from the leaders of these workshops and learn their on-the-ground approaches toward the future of mobility.
      Speakers:
      2:30 PM  -  3:45 PM
      The Mapping Prejudice Project: Confronting a Legacy of Racial Covenants in Minneapolis Neighborhoods
      The Mapping Prejudice project is leading community members in the process of mapping racial covenants. The project just finished the map of Hennepin County and has turned its attention to Ramsey County. Racial covenants are clauses--a couple of lines of text--that were embedded into property deeds to bar people who were not white from buying or even occupying the parcels of land to which they were attached. For the Hennepin County map, three thousand people volunteered to read historical property deeds and extract the information needed to put racial restrictions on a map. The project hopes to recruit even more people to map covenants in Ramsey County. Covenants were made illegal by the 1968 Fair Housing Act. But their legacy continues today in the Twin Cities, which has some of the largest racial disparities in the country. The Mapping Prejudice Project is designed to make visible what is invisible to many white people today. It reveals how structural racism shaped the urban landscape, blocking African Americans from critical avenues for wealth accumulation. Kirsten Delegard will reveal the "hidden" histories uncovered by her team, describe the unconventional methodologies that undergird this work and share the policy implications of working in community to change the collective understanding of the past.
      Speakers:
      2:30 PM  -  3:45 PM
      The State of Retail: Q&A
      Since the beginning of 2020, the state of retail has changed significantly. A number of sessions at CNU 28 spoke to what we know now and what we are still teasing out in uncertain times. Join experts Bob Gibbs and Seth Harry for an in-depth discussion on the state of retail in 2020.
      Speakers:
      2:30 PM  -  3:45 PM
      Transit Ready Development: Emerging Best Practices
      What are the emerging best practices for developing places that are transit-ready? How can we encourage investment in rail and rapid transit systems that add long-term value through coordinated land use planning and development? How can compact places effectively implement rapid-transit upgrades? What effects of COVID-19 are altering your plan for the future? This roundtable discussion will bring together experts from both public agencies and private development to discuss their recent work related to implementing Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) as well as Transit-Ready Development (TRD). We encourage you to submit your questions in advance through email and Instagram. If you would like to receive the draft white paper before the session, please also be in touch. Contact us through email transitready@principle.us or direct message on Instagram @principle.us before CNU.
      Speakers:
      4:00 PM  -  5:15 PM
      “Coola Saker”: New Urban, Low Carbon Communities of Sweden
      Sweden is a world leader in implementing comprehensive deep green new urban neighborhoods onto former greyfield sites. Two case studies – BoO1 outside Malmo and Hammarby outside Stockholm – provide cutting-edge examples within a cold climate similar to that of the Twin Cities. In addition to the common cultural ties between Minnesota and Sweden, this Scandinavian nation offers a model that the Twin Cities could emulate to provide new low-carbon communities. Each is built deliberately to conserve resources and take advantage of mixed use to reduce driving. Both offer more than 1,000 mixed-income homes, and have aggressive and measured goals for energy and water efficiency, recycling, and waste treatment. The comprehensive development strategy for both will be explored through urban form, green space, energy, water, and waste systems. Updated contemporary system strategies, overall performance, and lessons will be presented for debate and discussion.
      Speakers:
      4:00 PM  -  5:15 PM
      Art Room: How to Build Happiness & Community into Our Cities and Public Spaces
      Have you ever wondered why we form attachments to vibrant places? Do you choose to live in, visit, and spend time in cities? Many people know they love walkable urban environments, but they find it difficult to express what exactly makes the experience special. In reality, there are many layers of physical attributes, design, sensations and activity that contribute to a great place. Research shows that we find joy in external environments that reflect complexity similar to our own intricate personalities. Therefore, urban design and architecture can be a powerful means to generate a feeling of joy and cumulatively happiness. We all have a need to find joy in our physical world. This drive is directly connected to our mental health. This discussion will explore the connection between vibrant public spaces and our emotions, and empower people to recognize and implement walkable, joyful patterns.
      Speakers:
      4:00 PM  -  5:15 PM
      COVID and the Crisis of New Urbanism
      Many of the proposals of the New Urbanism seem to be in jeopardy such as density, open communities, transit, face to face encounters in public space, third places, etc. Nevertheless, the New Urbanism remains an excellent platform to absorb the technique that may become the "New Normal."
      Speakers:
      4:00 PM  -  5:15 PM
      Crafting Community Narratives
      In a series of short exercises, participants in this session will gain insights into the intersection of place and storytelling, then apply those insights in a workshop setting. Participants will engage with the stages of storytelling that new and existing communities typically experience during their existence, and learn how fundamentally different the community narrative can be during zoning, marketing, build-out, settlement, aging, and regeneration. Participants will have the chance to study different types of community storytellers, and will discuss the importance of history, conflicting stories, and the struggle for control that occurs at transitions between “pioneers and settlers,” founders and HOAs, and established neighborhoods and new residents. This session will help participants examine the role of myth, honesty, and marketing in community storytelling, as well as the many forms that community stories take. Through interactive exercises, session leaders will help participants track how storytelling can convey a community’s principles, either opening it to innovation or leaving it ossified.
      Speakers:
      5:30 PM  -  7:00 PM
      Charter Awards Ceremony
      The CNU Charter Awards recognize exemplary work in architectural, landscape, urban, and regional design, as defined by the Charter of the New Urbanism. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the CNU Charter Awards and will feature a retrospective by CNU co-founder and fellow, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk. Join CNU as we close out our first ever virtual Congress and honor the 2020 award recipients whose accomplishments have enlivened communities, created stronger public places, and addressed a range of issues from transportation to climate resilience.
    • Wednesday, August 26, 2020
    •  
      6:00 PM  -  8:00 PM
      (Thursday, August 27, 2020)
      202: DesignThinkingDrawing
      The session will be held from 6pm - 8pm EST on Wednesday, August 26th and Thursday, August 27th. DesignThinkingDrawing reconnects development industry, design and planning professionals with the use of freehand drawing to underpin design processes and particularly collaborative design. Drawing is an essential skill for collaborative design. The workshop focuses on how to use freehand drawing to design, think and draw urbanism and architecture with a focus on urban architecture. Drawings include diagrams to analyze, synthesize, generate and represent design principles, as well as observation, testing and improving visual memory. Guidance is provided through presentations with drawing examples from practice and group and individual drawing and thinking exercises. All drawing techniques are demonstrated, and participants are helped to practice them.
      Speakers:
      6:00 PM  -  8:00 PM
      (Thursday, August 27, 2020)
      WORKSHOP: DesignThinkingDrawing Masterclass
      The workshop will be held on Wednesday, August 26th and Thursday, August 27th from 6pm - 8pm EST. DesignThinkingDrawing focuses on how to use freehand drawing to design and think about urbanism and architecture. Taught by Peter Richards, an architect, urbanist, and founder of a multi-disciplinary design firm in Australia, this course will teach attendees to prepare drawings and diagrams to analyze, synthesize, generate, and explain ideas. In a workshop setting, attendees will learn through specific exercises in full- and small-group settings along with review and feedback. This full-day masterclass is ideal for built environment and development industry professionals at all levels and abilities wanting to improve their design, thinking, and drawing skills. Attendees receive a copy of Peter's book of the same name and will be able to attend the 202 course on Wednesday at no additional cost.
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