Congress for the New Urbanism Sign Up Information

Dear Friend,

You are the reason we can celebrate World Urbanism Day today. CNU and the New Urbanism movement draw energy, ideas, and direction from your engagement in creating better neighborhoods, cities, and towns for all people.

Today, on World Urbanism Day, I'd like to thank you for being part of New Urbanism. If you have not joined CNU, I invite you to join the Congress for the New Urbanism to add your energy to our work.

Thank you again for all that you do,

Scott Shields
Membership Engagement Manager
http://members.cnu.org/

Explore the “Honest Brick and Stone” of Saint Paul.

“Saint Paul is a wonderful town. It is put together in solid blocks of honest brick and stone, and has the air of intending to stay." --Mark Twain

Next June, CNU will make Saint Paul our headquarters for CNU 28.Twin Cities. If you're wondering what to expect of Minnesota's state capitol, here's a preview of the walkable, bikeable, transit-convenient things you can discover there. (For more detail, see this recent article in the Washington Post.) 

• Lowertown is a 5-minute walk from the Intercontinental Saint Paul Riverfront, our main venue. Explore a historic neighborhood with roots in the riverfront trade of the 19th century, a place that today bursts with imaginative local businesses, craft food and beverages, and artists. Stay through the weekend for free yoga on Saturday at Union Depot (the Saint Paul terminus of the Green Line), and fresh food from the farmers market.
• Rice Park, the green heart of downtown Saint Paul, voted a Great Public Space by the American Planning Association, is also a short walk from the Intercontinental. The City recently invested more than $2 million in Rice Park, which has been in continual use as a public square since 1849. Bordered by museums and cultural landmarks, the park includes statues that pay tribute to famous Saint Paulites, from cartoonist Charles Schulz to author F. Scott Fitzgerald.
• The botanical garden at Como Park, just about 40 minutes away by transit, is well worth a visit. The park’s stunning Marjorie McNeely Observatory is one of the last Victorian glass-domed greenhouses in the country.
• Also nearby is the Hmongtown Marketplace, where founder Tuoa Xiong has created a gathering place not only for one of the nation's largest Hmong communities, but also for people of all ethnicities seeking new experiences, fashion, fresh produce, and delicious food. See the video below for an interview with Xiong about his placemaking work.

Our thanks to Bill Lindeke and Twin Cities Sidewalks for the quote by Mark Twain. 

Registration for CNU 28.Twin Cities opens in January. 

Call for Proposals: Final Week

This is the final week for submitting full session proposals to CNU. Submit your session idea by November 15.

New Urban Research

The New Urban Research call for papers is open through December 20. We're looking for research that examines, tests, and challenges the field of New Urbanism, a field that touches on a complex array of topics, applying design thinking to issues as varied as housing, transportation, social equity, and climate. We anticipate submissions as varied as the many challenges and possibilities cities and towns face. Find out more here.

Call for Authors

CNU can provide space for author talks for members and CNU 28 speakers with a book that came out in 2019 or is coming out in 2020. Contact Lisa Schamess to be considered.

Become a Sponsor for CNU 28.Twin Cities

Your sponsorship provides visibility to your firm or organization, while supporting critical programming, networking activities, and education opportunities for Congress participants. Visit our Sponsorship page to find out more.

Join us! Become part of a movement that is powering great communities.

Already a member? Check out the improved member portal page, and update your info. 

I'm Laurie, CNU National Board Chair. We are CNU.

I’ve been a member and active in CNU since 1993 and now I’m honored to be its Board Chair. It wasn’t until I joined the Board that I fully understood how much the organization accomplishes with such a small staff, but also with a very dedicated membership.

The power of the organization comes from the symbiotic and collaborative relationships among its members, who contribute their ideas, innovations, and expertise in service to implementing the Charter. CNU, the organization, works to amplify and disseminate that critical work. 

It’s this relationship that has enabled the organization to expand our programmatic efforts, such as the Project for Code Reform, which offers local governments an incremental approach to land use and zoning reform. Developed at the state level, in partnership with local governments and state-wide organizations, the CNU-member team identifies changes that are sensitive to the capacity constraints many local governments face.

Matt Lambert, my colleague on the CNU Board, has said, “This programmatic work is exactly how the organization and its members should leverage each other’s strengths. Individual members cannot enact state-wide change, and CNU needs our code wrangling expertise.”  

The scope and reach of this, and the many other CNU initiatives, could not have been possible without your intellectual contributions, membership, volunteering, and donations. While some of our work is supported by grants, most is not. CNU covers these funding gaps through memberships and donations.  

I hope you will remember the Congress for the New Urbanism in your year-end giving. Many thanks.

Laurie Volk is co-founder and Co-Managing Director at Zimmerman/Volk Associates, Inc. She is the Chair of the Board for CNU.

Congress for the New Urbanism
http://members.cnu.org/

What's your urbanist superpower? Share your story to #PowerofUs #ThisIsCNU on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

I'm Rob, Editor in Chief of Public Square. Your support makes independent urbanist journalism possible.

I’ve been reporting on the urbanist movement since 1996. During that time I’ve covered the development of New Urbanist projects and what these projects mean for our movement. 

For example, earlier this year, I initiated a series on retail trends in Public Square to explore current retail conditions in the age of Amazon through the lens of urbanism. “Why Downtown Retail Is Coming Back” and “How Brick-and-Mortar Stores Can Benefit from E-Commerce” are just two of the stories I wrote on this topic. 

Public Square is not underwritten or directed by any corporations or foundations. Instead, Public Square is 100% supported by CNU members.

That’s what I do: I explore and report on trends through an urbanism lens, amplifying and clarifying the work done by members and their allies and spreading ideas that have an impact. Our 500,000 (and growing) readers tell me this information is valuable to them and their work.

Will you consider an end-of-year donation to CNU? With your support we will continue to showcase new and established voices on Public Square and bring you the most relevant news of our movement. 

Thank you for your support and contributions to the CNU. We are CNU. 

Rob Steuteville is Senior Communications Advisor at CNU, and Editor in Chief of Public Square.

Congress for the New Urbanism
http://members.cnu.org/

I'm Lynn, CNU President and CEO. Thank you for your essential work and support for great urbanism.

At the end of the year, my thoughts turn to gratitude to all CNU members and allies who helped make 2019 an incredible year for us. We helped draft congressional legislation to fund highway removal, released Building Local Strength: Emerging Strategies for Inclusive Development, expanded the Project for Code Reform, welcomed more than 750 new members to the Congress, and increased readership for Public Square and CNU.org.

More people throughout the world are engaging with and working to implement New Urbanist approaches and solutions. After 27 years, our movement continues to grow through the strength of our ideas and the power of new urbanist solutions.

Your contributions to the movement and to the organization are essential to its growth. Please remember CNU in your end of year giving so we can continue to grow and increase our impact.

Thank you for all you do. Here’s to more walkable urbanism in 2020!

Lynn Richards

Be part of our End of Year campaign.

Already a member? Check out the improved member portal page, and update your info. 

Congress for the New Urbanism
http://members.cnu.org/

One last reminder to give to CNU by midnight for a tax deduction this year. Then stay with us for more great walkable urbanism in 2020.

This month, hundreds of you have responded to our end of year appeal with donations, memberships, and renewals. That support is what makes CNU's work possible—we just couldn't do it otherwise.

Even if you haven't given to CNU this holiday season, there's still time to support great urbanism before we ring in the new year.

Every dollar given before midnight tonight goes to support CNU's member-led, mission-driven work across the country, from confronting in-city highways to building wealth and preventing displacement to re-legalizing walkability in more communities. With your 2019 gift, you not only get a tax deduction, but you’ll also help what matters most to New Urbanists: building places people love.

Already a member? Check out the improved member portal page, and update your info. 

Congress for the New Urbanism
http://members.cnu.org/

I'm Amy, Co-founder of the Claiborne Avenue Alliance. Join CNU's work to reclaim communities from highways.

In 2017, I united with my neighbors to form the Claiborne Avenue Alliance. Our goal is to bring down an elevated segment of Interstate 10 and restore the heart of Tremé, historically the vibrant center of Black culture and commerce in New Orleans. 

We're proud to be featured in CNU’s Highways to Boulevards initiative, which has documented and promoted local campaigns like ours since 2008. CNU's recognition and transportation summits have introduced us to people from all over the country who are also advocates for their communities’ future: in Austin, Oakland, Milwaukee, Dallas, and elsewhere. Some are further along the way than we are in NOLA, and they can reflect lessons learned and offer a roadmap forward. Some are right where we are now, standing up and speaking up for what’s right—and what’s possible.

CNU’s work has not only shone a beacon on local efforts, it is also having national impact. In 2019, the U.S. Congress leveraged CNU’s decade of work with two bills--S.2302 and H.R.4101--that offer crucial support to local governments and local nonprofit groups to remove disruptive highway segments, rebuild local street networks, reconnect neighborhoods, and restore opportunities and mobility choices to people in neighborhoods like Tremé.

I call what CNU offers an “intellectual infrastructure” that enables us to see our way to a different future for our neighborhoods. Working with CNU affirms our vision that big urban highways are neither inevitable nor permanent fixtures of city life. 

CNU can only provide this essential network and these resources with your help. Please donate what you can toward a world with fewer highways and more boulevards. 

Amy Stelly is an architectural and urban designer and artist in New Orleans. She is president of the Vieux Carré Property Owners and Associates and directs the Claiborne Avenue Alliance. Watch this video to learn more about Claiborne Avenue and the Claiborne Avenue Alliance.

Congress for the New Urbanism
http://members.cnu.org/

American Highways Are Being Removed. What's Next?

Join CNU's Ben Crowther and planners from the City of Rochester, New York for a free webinar on February 4, 2020 at 1 p.m.

Co-sponsored with Maryland Department of Planning and Smart Growth Network

How can cities start to plan now for the advent of new transportation technology? While advanced applications such as autonomous vehicles are still years away from widespread adoption, others are already here, notably advances in micro-mobility such as e-scooters and e-bikes, and dynamic parking pricing. We stand now at the cusp of a transportation revolution, one that once again will affect more than how we get around, and has the potential to reshape the way cities operate and look. 

CNU members are invited to join in an intensive workshop, February 25-29, co-sponsored by the City of Buffalo, New York; CNU; and Stantec Urban Places. Gather with colleagues to consider our path forward in creating and sustaining cities for people, with mobility choices that promote vibrant street life and public space, mixed uses and well-designed neighborhoods and business districts.

Participants will develop policies and design recommendations that show how Buffalo can adapt its existing streets and public spaces to accommodate these new transportation technologies and increase access to jobs and services for all of its residents. This workshop represents a crucial opportunity for New Urbanists to provide our perspective on how cities should incorporate future mobility solutions.

Space for the workshop is limited. We invite CNU members with a wide range of expertise to apply at the link below. Applicants will be notified of their status by January 17th.

NOTE: Although seats are reserved for CNU members, you may join by selecting the second button below, then proceed with registration.

Questions? Contact Ben Crowther at bcrowther@cnu.org.

Photo: Invest Buffalo Niagara

Congress for the New Urbanism
http://members.cnu.org/

Plan Your Travel for CNU 28.Twin Cities.

Registration for CNU 28.Twin Cities will open January 23. Now's the time to make your travel arrangements and book your room at the InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront. See our web page for information about flights, local travel, and lodging. See below for registration rates.

The Green Line: Weaving the Twin Cities Together.

In 2014, the Twin Cities collaborated to inaugurate the Green Line, the first intercity rail line to connect the cities in decades. Since then, the light-rail Green Line has transformed the relationship of Saint Paul and Minneapolis— they, in turn, are working to transform it into the backbone of a more equitable, affordable, and livable region.

The Green Line not only connects the Twin Cities by rail, it also connects their lives and livelihoods. New development along the line is projected to add 17,000 households to the route over the next 20 years, along with new retail, industrial, and services development.

Both cities are addressing the Green Line’s potential for stimulating public life, business, sustainability, and residential opportunities for all. For example, Saint Paul invested in the Big Picture Project to preserve affordable housing in the adjacent University Avenue corridor. So far, the City has rezoned more than 800 parcels near the Green Line for transit-oriented development. Saint Paul also dedicated a staff person to work with the developers to create and maintain publicly accessible space as part of their projects.

Minneapolis has located a number of innovative green-energy projects near the line, including a geothermal HVAC system at a nearby senior housing center, a green roof on the Hennepin County Courthouse, a solar array atop the Minneapolis Convention Center, and electric vehicle docking and bikeshare stations convenient to train stops. Saint Paul also lobbied to add three light rail stations through low-income, racially diverse, transit-dependent neighborhoods that otherwise did not meet Federal criteria for a transit stop.

The private nonprofit Trust for Public Land has set out on a program to "Green the Green Line," assuring that recreational and public spaces are created and preserved along with new development. The Trust worked with businesses, nonprofits, developers, governments, and others to develop a report of findings for the project. Find out more here.

Did You Know...?

Both Saint Paul and Minneapolis have repeatedly earned perfect scores on the Human Rights Campaign's annual score card for cities that protect and honor LGBTQIA people's rights, most recently in November of this year. Learn more.

Become a Sponsor for CNU 28.Twin Cities

Your sponsorship provides visibility to your firm or organization, while supporting critical programming, networking activities, and education opportunities for Congress participants. Visit our Sponsorship page to find out more.

Join us! Become part of a movement that is powering great communities.

Already a member? Check out the improved member portal page, and update your info. 

Register now for CNU 28. Twin Cities.

Join us June 10 - 13, 2020, for CNU’s 28th annual Congress in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, two cities known for their walkability, world-class park systems, collaborative governance, and diverse cultures. Explore the Twin Cities' innovative solutions to challenges so many communities face, from the legacy of redlining, to rising housing costs, to climate change. Together, Saint Paul and Minneapolis showcase the possibilities for great urbanism.

CNU 28.Twin Cities provides a platform for attendees to discuss, debate, and discover a range of issues related to building healthy, resilient, and affordable neighborhoods. Educational and technical sessions will be available at all levels–whether you are new to your field or an established practitioner.

Continuing education credits will be available from AICP, LACES, CNU-A, and AIA for hundreds of sessions focused on transportation and mobility, adapting to a changing climate, housing solutions, architecture and urban design, coding, development, open space, suburban retrofit, implementing new urbanism with local governments, challenges facing cities in the 21st century, regional cooperation, public health, art, and tactical urbanism.

From now until March 2nd, we’ll be offering our “Earliest Bird” rate, a savings of nearly $100!

Are you a first-time Congress attendee? 

The Congress unites over 1,500 individuals from North America and around the world for four days of education, collaboration, discussion, and debate on the policies, designs, and emerging approaches that create great places. Learn more about CNU’s flagship event here. Check out the video below to learn about this year's Congress from the perspective of Lucy Thompson, co-chair of the CNU 28.Twin Cities Local Host Committee.

Keynote: Dan Buettner, Blue Zones founder

CNU is excited to welcome Dan Buettner as a keynote speaker for CNU 28.Twin Cities. Buettner is an explorer, National Geographic Fellow, award-winning journalist and producer, and New York Times bestselling author. Through his work, he discovered the five places in the world–dubbed Blue Zones hotspots–where people live the longest, healthiest lives.

Buettner now works in partnership with municipal governments, large employers, and health insurance companies to implement Blue Zones Projects in communities, workplaces, and universities. These well-being initiatives apply lessons from the Blue Zones to entire communities by focusing on changes to the local environment, public policy, and social networks. The program has dramatically improved the health of more than 5 million
Americans to date.

Fun fact: Buettner also holds three Guinness World Records in distance cycling.

We’ll be announcing additional keynote speakers soon, so stay tuned.

Planning Ahead 

Get your Metro Transit pass.

To make it easier to get around the Twin Cities and to and from the airport, we’ll be offering a 5-day Metro Transit pass for just $5 as a registration add-on. This pass includes the light rail and bus rapid transit. Learn more about public transportation in the Twin Cities here.

Book your hotel.  

Now's the time to reserve your room at the InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront for the CNU rate of $209 per night. Book your room here.

Explore financial aid options. 

Scholarships
CNU is offering a select number of 4-day Congress registration scholarships with the goal of expanding participation and bringing new voices to the event. Learn more about scholarships here.

Volunteering
CNU's annual Congress would not be possible without the help of onsite volunteers. In return for 10-12 hours of volunteer time, CNU offers volunteers a 4-day Congress registration to all non-ticketed sessions for a heavily discounted rate of $185. Volunteers who complete their hours and duties are eligible for an additional $100 registration refund.

Please note: ticketed items (tours, 202s, etc.) are not included in this offer and incur an added expense. Volunteers are responsible for their own travel arrangements, lodging, and other expenses. Sign up to volunteer here.

Become a Sponsor for CNU 28.Twin Cities

Your sponsorship provides visibility to your firm or organization, while supporting critical programming, networking activities, and education opportunities for Congress participants. Visit our Sponsorship page to find out more.

Join us! Become part of a movement that is powering great communities.

Already a member? Check out the improved member portal page, and update your info. 

Know a highway that's got to go? Submissions for the seventh edition of the biennial Freeways Without Futures report are open through November 25, 2020. There's only two days left to act!?

The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) is still seeking nominations of city highways in North America. Freeways Without Futures?highlights the efforts of local campaign organizers and activists seeking to revitalize their communities by dismantling burdensome highways that for too long have segregated and polluted nearby neighborhoods and communities.?

Submit your nomination today?to amplify these community-driven campaigns.?

Each submission should identify one freeway, outline the local campaign underway to remove it, and discuss how it proposes to channel the benefits unlocked by taking down an expressway to serve the members of the current community.

Nominees will be graded based on the following criteria: 1) community impact, 2) local support, 3) economic benefits, 4) proposed redesigns, 5) existing political momentum, and 6) physical condition of the highway. Individuals who nominate a freeway may be asked to provide further background and contribute to the?Freeways Without Futures?series.?

For more information on CNU''s?Freeways Without Futures?series, visit?cnu.org/highways.

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Join us! Become part of a movement that is powering great communities.

Already a member? Check out the improved member portal page, and update your info.?

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October 26, 2020

Members have always been at the heart of the Congress for the New Urbanism.

CNU was founded in the 1990s based on the idea that the organization and its members are much more powerful when we work together. Our notable progress since then is proof of that power. Over the past 27 years, membership dollars have enabled countless successes, both large and small, that advance CNU's core mission of walkable urbanism, including:

? Public Square: A CNU Journal, the widely-read, publicly available column illuminating urban issues, successes and challenges, and best practices in urbanism in the US and beyond.
? On the Park Bench, CNU's new webinar series, that presents interactive conversations with veteran and emerging thought leaders in New Urbanism and allied industries, in a format that allows audience engagement in real time, and is preserved in an impressive growing archive.
? Six editions of Freeways Without Futures, with the seventh under development. This increasingly prominent publication, which documents and advocates pedestrian-friendly replacements of limited-access highways, has influenced the reporting of national media outlets such as NPR, Fox News, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.
? Federal legislative and regulatory changes supporting walkable urbanism. CNU's work on Capitol Hill, and with federal agencies helped legislators craft national highway removal legislation and HUD staff produce human-scaled HOPE VI guidelines.

To support all our future successes, we urge you to join or renew your membership today during our fall membership drive.

CNU membership enables you to collaborate with CNU staff in the exploration of your ideas for advancing the mission. For example, after years of member and staff efforts, CNU launched the Project for Code Reform, which has provided tools, strategies, and incremental zoning code changes to enable better development in communities from Michigan to Vermont, while also building the capacity and expertise of our movement for innovative coding.

CNU has not escaped the pandemic's economic impact on all sectors of our lives, public and private, for-profit and not-for-profit. We've experienced?significant revenue loss across multiple sectors: Congress, grants,?sponsorships. We will get to the other side by reducing expenses, expanding our grant-funded programs, seeking early Congress?sponsorships, and reaching out to you-our members-to join or renew?your memberships.?

With multiple membership levels available-from free student memberships to the commitment of a $3,500 lifetime membership and multiple levels in between-there is a membership category to match your capacity for support.

Join CNU today. Already a member? Renew early.

Join or renew in advance today to ensure the continued power of our collective voice.

Laurie Volk Chair CNU Board of Directors ?

Lynn Richards President and CEO Congress for the New Urbanism

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For more information on CNU membership, please visit?https://members.cnu.org/memberships

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November 13, 2020

Dear?Friend,

Though much has happened in the last few weeks, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on an important milestone: today, we are wrapping up CNU's first ever fall membership drive. There is still time to help us reach our goals.

Members have always been at the heart of CNU's work. Since our founding, we have known that we are stronger when working together than we could ever be as individuals. Thanks to CNU's members, we can work year-round on programs, research, and partnerships that are shaping the practice of urbanism from the local to the international level. This is no small task and it requires financial support beyond what we do each year for our annual Congress. Please support us by joining today.

Already during this drive, we:

• Added almost 100 new members
• Made new inroads with local government outreach
• Ensured that CNU projects like Public Square, Highways to Boulevards, and our On The Park Bench webinar series are sustainable for the foreseeable future

And speaking of Public Square, we'd be remiss if we didn't share this great article detailing all of the great work CNU has been able to do this year thanks to our membership: https://www.cnu.org/publicsquare/2020/11/05/cnu-more-annual-congress-and-2020-our-work-more-important-ever

Thanks again!

Scott Shields
Membership Engagement Manager

For more information on CNU membership, please visit https://members.cnu.org/memberships

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April 20, 2020

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Dear CNU Members, Partners, Allies, and Supporters:

One month ago, we reached out to provide you with information about the impact of COVID-19 on our annual Congress and today we are able to provide an update. Currently, the state of Minnesota - like many others - is under a stay at home order through early May. Even with the three-phased approach for reopening economic activity recommended by the Trump administration on April 16, the absolute earliest date that non-essential travel and large gatherings would be allowed would be mid-June. Unfortunately, as a result, we will be unable to host an in-person Congress this year.

Yet now, more than ever, New Urbanists need an opportunity to come together for discussion and debate, to share and to learn, and to support one another in this uncertain time. So we are excited to announce that we are taking CNU 28.Twin Cities online June 10-13, including 55-70 sessions and a number of pre-Congress webinars.

CNU 28.A Virtual Gathering will have many of the elements you were looking forward to in the Twin Cities: thought provoking sessions, in-depth discussions with live Q and A, social gatherings, sessions and discussions about current projects and happenings in the Twin Cities, art room sessions, plenary sessions, and a number of pre-Congress events. By developing a way for attendees to engage virtually, these crucial conversations can occur in real time. While much of the program will remain as planned, we will also be adding new sessions that directly address the current public health crisis and how it is impacting the work of New Urbanists around the world. Given the uncertainty of what we are all facing, the Congress content, and CNU's emphasis on community, is more relevant than ever.

As always, continuing education credits from CNU-A, AIA, APA, and ASLA will be available for most sessions. Additionally, all the sessions will be archived for viewing after the Congress week - creating more value for members and attendees.

We know there will be many questions about how a virtual Congress will work, or about current registrations, tickets, and sponsorship. We have compiled the following resources to help address your questions (pages will be updated in real time as more detail becomes available):

• Virtual registration pricing and updated refund policy
• Virtual sponsorship benefits
• Register for the Virtual Congress

CNU staff is in the process of reaching out to speakers, sponsors, and existing registrants about our Virtual Gathering. Additionally, the Intercontinental Hotel will be canceling all attendees' room reservations at the hotel that are in the group block.

The COVID-19 crisis has created a pivotal moment for New Urbanists: we must marshal our principles and expertise to benefit people and communities in a time of great distress. We also know the financial impacts of the crisis are real and will be felt acutely by us all. Victor Dover said it best a few weeks ago during an On the Park Bench webinar: New Urbanists rise to every occasion; creating new innovations to propel neighborhoods and cities forward in a time of crisis.

We have created an extraordinary program that we are excited to share with you. Being together virtually won't be quite the same as gathering in person, but we need a Congress now more than ever. We hope you will join us - together online - in June.

Laurie Volk CNU National Board Chair Co-Founder, Zimmerman-Volk Associates

Lynn Richards President and CEO, Congress for the New Urbanism, Inc.

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For future updates, please visit and bookmark?https://www.cnu.org/cnu28

Keynote: Transportation, Affordability, and Mobility with Robin Chase and Peter Calthorpe

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.

Robin Chase, transportation entrepreneur?

Robin Chase is co-founder and former CEO of Zipcar, the world's leading car-sharing network; as well as co-founder of Veniam, a network company that moves terabytes of data between vehicles and the cloud. She has recently co-founded her first nonprofit, NUMO, a global alliance to channel the opportunities presented by new urban mobility technologies to build cities that are sustainable and just. Her recent book is Peers Inc: How People and Platforms are Inventing the Collaborative Economy and Reinventing Capitalism.

Peter Calthorpe, architect, urban designer, urban planner, and CNU founder

Peter Calthorpe's long and honored career in urban design, planning, and architecture began in 1976, combining his experience in each discipline to develop new approaches to urban revitalization, suburban growth, and regional planning. In 1983, Peter Calthorpe founded the award-winning firm of Calthorpe Associates to advance sustainable urban design and planning globally. Throughout his career in urban design, planning, and architecture, he has been a pioneer of innovative approaches to urban revitalization, community planning, and regional design.?

Let''s create better cities together.

CNU 28. Twin Cities will bring the new urbanism community together in a cross-disciplinary exchange of stories and insights about changing the world of community design.

Recharge your career with thought-provoking presentations and professional training while taking in Minneapolis and Saint Paul-two cities known for their walkability, world-class park systems, collaborative governance, and diverse cultures.

Join us as we take on many design, architecture, and policy challenges facing cities in the 21st century-including adapting to a changing climate, creating housing solutions, and implementing new urbanism with local governments.

Did you miss out on super early bird registration rates? Don''t worry-CNU 28''s early bird ticket pricing is now valid through May 23, 2020!

CNU 28.Twin Cities & COVID-19

As of March 4, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) does not recommend canceling or postponing travel to any destination in the United States, and CNU 28.Twin Cities will proceed as planned.

CNU is keeping a close eye on COVID-19 and the recommendations of the CDC regarding travel and safety and will notify all registered attendees of any changes to the event via email. For more information,?you can read our full statement here.

Become a Sponsor for CNU 28.Twin Cities

Your sponsorship provides visibility to your firm or organization, while supporting critical programming, networking activities, and education opportunities for Congress participants.?Visit our Sponsorship page to find out more.

Join us! Become part of a movement that is powering great communities.

Already a member? Check out the improved member portal page, and update your info.?

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Dear CNU Members, Partners, Allies, and Supporters:

The CNU National Board met last week to discuss the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on CNU 28.Twin Cities. Much has changed in the world since our March 4 coronavirus update, including the CDC recommendation that organizations cancel or reschedule events with 50 or more people for the next eight weeks.

The health and well-being of CNU members, partners, and allies is our greatest concern. Clearly, the pandemic and its economic impact have created unprecedented uncertainty throughout the world. Understanding that this is an extremely dynamic public health crisis, we wanted to update members and partners on our current approach and planning for CNU 28.Twin Cities.

• In-person Congress. Currently, CNU 28.Twin Cities remains scheduled to take place in June. We do not anticipate cancelling the in-person Congress unless required to do so by the federal or state government. However, we will be monitoring travel restrictions and assessing members'' willingness to travel.
  • Most airlines now are offering flexibility on travel reservations and we are currently working with our host hotel to allow that same kind of flexibility for our room block.
  • We will be following all the recommended health precautions during the Congress including offering hand sanitizer, wiping podiums and other surfaces frequently, and encouraging regular handwashing among participants.
    
    
• Virtual Congress. If the in-person Congress must be cancelled, we will host a virtual Congress over the same dates in June. A number of large events have already been held virtually and we feel confident that CNU staff and partners can produce a meaningful interactive online event.
  • Sessions would be recorded, enabling Congress participants to review sessions that otherwise would have been missed.
  • A virtual Congress would decrease participants''; travel costs making it more affordable and hopefully expand participation.

We are currently exploring technology that would help replicate the in-person experience that is so valuable and invigorating, including random meet ups, debates, and offline discussions. We welcome any recommendations and offers of help with this endeavor by emailing us at congress@cnu.org.?

• Refunds. Your investment in the Congress is important to us. As always, CNU offers refunds (minus an administrative fee) for Congress registration through May 13, 2020. We will reassess this long-standing policy as May approaches. A new policy change for CNU 28 is that we will offer refunds to anyone who is sick or caring for a family member, up to the beginning of the Congress.
  
  It is possible the cost to CNU of a virtual Congress would be lower than that of the onsite Congress. If so, CNU would offer a refund in an amount reflecting this savings, or a credit to apply to next year's Congress, member dues, or another CNU-sponsored event.?

The CNU 28.Twin Cities Legacy Projects, originally scheduled for the last week in March, have been postponed through a joint decision made by community leaders and the urban design teams. All projects will likely take place in mid-to-late May.

Now, more than ever, the ideas and information exchanged annually at the Congress are crucial to the New Urbanist movement and the future of our cities, towns, and communities. We believe that this public health crisis has created a pivotal challenge for us: how we deploy our principles and expertise to benefit people and communities in a time of great distress. And the Congress -- whether held in person, virtually, or in some combination of the two -- will be our first opportunity as a movement to confront the ramifications of this pandemic.

Please feel free to reach out to either of us with any questions or concerns that you may have; we will try to address them as best we can. Please continue to stand with us as we find our way through this global crisis and let us know what we can do to help you. Finally, and most importantly, please stay safe and healthy. We need you and your work to champion walkable urbanism worldwide.

Laurie Volk Board Chair, CNU National Co-Founder, Zimmerman/Volk Associates

Lynn Richards President and CEO, CNU National

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For future updates, please visit and bookmark?https://www.cnu.org/cnu28/news

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Dear CNU members, allies, and friends:

We''ve made great progress moving our annual Congress online. We are writing today with programing updates that demonstrate why you should register now for CNU 28.A Virtual Gathering.

Though we won't be together in person for CNU 28, the program we have put together for our Virtual Gathering is phenomenal. We are not just moving our Congress online - we have curated sessions that speak directly to the extraordinary circumstances we now face as individuals, firms, organizations, and municipalities.?

In addition to shifting the focus of previous sessions on retail, transportation, local government issues, climate, codes, design, and more - we have also put out a call for new proposals (open through midnight tonight) and will be adding sessions that were created as recently as today.?

Now more than ever, urban designers, advocates, policy makers, and architects need to gather to grapple with big questions about our future. CNU 28.A Virtual Gathering is the first opportunity we'll have to do this.?

We hope you'll look at the currently confirmed sessions, knowing that we will add new content in the coming weeks to have the most up-to-date Congress possible. A few we're looking forward to include:

• In Defense of Cities, a plenary discussion with Emily Badger of The New York Times and Allison Arieff of SPUR.?
• Disassembling the Charrette, a breakout session with Kevin Wright of YARD & Company, Mike Lydon of Street Plans Collaborative, Lauren Hood of Deep Dive Detroit, and Rena Bradley of Bridge of Grace Compassionate Ministries Center.
• The Urban Guild''s eight sessions - art room, architectural design, and urban design - to discuss current shifts and best practices in design.
• A two-part session called Redressing Redlining: Lessons in realities and reconciliation featuring Josh McCarty, Andrew Faulkner, Kevin Ehram-Solberg, Ann Juergens, Colin Gordon, and Heather Worthington.?
• Six sessions created specifically for local governments to address challenges and opportunities they might be facing.?
• Two days of pre-Congress introductory courses led by New Urbanist experts giving lectures on 16 foundational new urbanist topics, including climate, coding, transforming suburbs, and more. These courses will be included in every Congress registration.

And there is so much more.?Check out the current list of confirmed sessions here.

We have a number of registration options, including a full registration with access to the archives of each live session for three months - giving you the opportunity to see every single Congress session on your own timeline. Additionally, we are offering a discount to international residents - please email congress@cnu.org for more information.?

Scholarships Available: In seeking to broaden the voices, talents, and perspectives at any Congress, CNU offers a select number of scholarships. While the initial scholarship application period closed in early March, economic conditions for many, including local governments, have changed significantly. We are happy to announce that we are re-opening the scholarship application process through May 25.

Also, it''s the last chance to volunteer to host one of the many social events and happy hours that will happen at the Congress. Sign up here.?

The 2020 Charter Awards winners will be featured live on Saturday, June 13. However, you can get a sneak preview of some of the winners now on Public Square: A CNU Journal. From innovative new approaches to coding to incentives for increasing infill development, the twentieth annual Charter Awards display some of the most exciting new urbanist projects to date.

In other news:?

CNU has committed to assisting communities implement new transportation technologies that will support thriving urbanist communities decades from now. CNU has leveraged its national membership to identify the design and policy solutions for real-world cities and towns that make this vision a reality. The Future of Mobility: Reimaging Walton County's Rt 30A is an initial effort in this endeavor.?

CNU continues with our On the Park Bench?series, a free weekly webinar that provides a platform for members to discuss, debate, and engage on the impact of the public health pandemic and elements of city building and urban design. Catch up on past webinars or register for next Tuesday''s webinar - Adapting to the Crisis: The Public and Private Response - here.

Finally, it saddens us to report that architect and urban planner Jaquelin T. Robertson, FAIA, a founding partner of the New York-based firm Cooper Robertson has died at the age of 87. Renowned for his work championing classical design, Robertson was the recipient of several awards including the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Architecture in 1998, the Seaside Institute Prize in 2002, and the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture's Richard H. Driehaus Prize in 2007 for his contributions to classical architecture. He was also a 2010 CNU Athena Medal recipient.?

We hope this finds everyone healthy and safe. And please join us online for CNU 28 to ensure we have the robust discussion so desperately needed in these uncertain times.

Our very best,

Laurie Volk CNU National Board Chair Co-Founder, Zimmerman-Volk Associates

Lynn Richards President and CEO, Congress for the New Urbanism, Inc.

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For future updates, please visit and bookmark?https://www.cnu.org/cnu28

Friend --

Equity is not a buzzword.

It is a guiding principle. As planners, architects, developers, public servants, as New Urbanists -- as people -- equity should be the foundation of all that we do. At CNU 28, we're convening to share, learn, and listen with the intention of building better, more equitable places.

Learning to Build a More Equitable City.

At our virtual Congress, we are providing a unique opportunity for attendees to learn how to build a more equitable city. From "Housing as a Core Need" and "Best of Intentions: Stationing Equity in Transit-Oriented Development" to "Projects for People: Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity in 2020 Charter Award Projects", CNU sessions?will reveal how the principles of the Charter are put into practice, and how equity is made to manifest the built environment.

Author Dan Buettner will deliver a virtual plenary, revealing the elements of Blue Zones, "where people live the longest, healthiest lives," and what lessons can be learned to synthesize those elements into all of our places.

View the complete CNU 28 agenda here.

Before the Congress begins...the Congress begins...

Technically, this year''s Congress starts on June 10. But we are kicking off the conversations early with 16 pre-Congress sessions available to all Live and Live+Archive registrants. Build your base of fundamentals and core urbanist knowledge in sessions such as "Urban Economics" with Joe Minicozzi of Urban3, as he unlocks the potential economic and social benefits of reducing subsidized sprawl. Look to the future with "Strong Towns 101," as Strong Towns founder Chuck Marohn lays out a blueprint for building resilient and self-sustaining communities. Or join CNU founder Lizz Plater-Zyberk addressing both long- and short-term actions to begin implementing solutions around "Climate Change and Adaptation for the Built Environment". Sessions start on Monday, June 8 at noon eastern. Learn more here.

The Value of Virtual.

As a virtual event this year, CNU 28 allows you the full benefits of a typical Congress at an even better value than before. Sign up for just the sessions you want with single-session registrations starting at $20. Or get the full package at $250.

Registration prices will increase after June 5.

Preparing for CNU 28.

The world's leading urbanists in your pocket.

You can now download CNU Connect, the app -- available for your tablet, iPhone, or Android -- that immerses you in the full Congress experience. Before Congress opens next week, we will be providing a link to access the desktop website for registered users.

Once you register, simply search for "CNU Connect" in your device's app store and click to install. Select the "CNU 28.A Virtual Gathering" event within the "CNU Connect" app and create a login using the same email address that you used to register for the Congress. Once you log in, you will be able to dig into session details, build a customized agenda of sessions and events, connect and chat with colleagues and fellow attendees, interact with sponsors and exhibitors at the virtual Exhibit Hall, and access all that CNU 28 has to offer: plenaries, breakout sessions, awards ceremonies, art rooms, fun runs, happy hours, and more than 70 continuing education credits.

Thank you to our CNU 28 sponsors.

Transformative
ESG Architecture & Design
Walton Family Foundation

Visionary
The Lander Group

Sustainable
Destination Medical Center
DPZ CoDESIGN
Opticos Design
Black + Vernooy
University of Miami, School of Architecture, Master of Real Estate Development

Community
AARP Livable Communities
Cornish Associates
Thadani Architects + Urbanists
Urban3
Zimmerman/Volk Associates, Inc.

Neighborhood
Farr Associates
PlaceMakers, LLC
Principle Group
Stantec
Torti Gallas + Partners
Van Meter Williams Pollack LLP

Green
BKV Group
Collage Architects
Crabtree Group, Inc.
Collage Architects
Damon Farber Landscape Architects
Hoisington Koegler Group, Inc.
LHB, Inc.
The Musicant Group
SRF Consulting Group

Public Interest
City of Bloomington, MN
City of Edina, MN
Fresh Energy
Hennepin County, MN
Macalester College
Metropolitan Council
City of Minneapolis, MN
Montgomery County Planning Department
Ramsey County
City of Rochester, MN
City of Saint Louis Park, MN
City of Saint Paul, MN

Public Square
Ball State University
Bolten & Menk, Inc.
The Cornerstone Group
Leyland Alliance
Minnesota Design Center
Schafer Richardson
Thomas Comitta Associates

A la Carte
Laura M. Heery
Steve Maun
Watson-Forsberg Co.
YARD & Company

In-Kind
Active Towns

Legacy Project
F.R. Bigelow Foundation
HRA City of Bloomington
City of Richfield, MN
Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation
City of Saint Paul: Planning & Economic Development

Congress for the New Urbanism
http://members.cnu.org/

Dear?Friend, please join us THIS SUNDAY (October 11th) at 5:00 pm EDT for a Free CNU Happy Hour as part of the?Better Cities Film Festival?. Details are provided below.

You're Invited to a Happy Hour
Sunday October 11, 5:00 to 6:00 pm EDT

Missing your CNU friends? Join our low-key hangout and talk about movies and New Urbanism at our Zoom Happy Hour this Sunday, October 11 from 5:00 to 6:00 pm EDT (Eastern Daylight Time). This will be a fun way to wind up the weekend chatting with CNU colleagues and supporters around the globe.

Use this link to join the happy hour: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84166602982

(Meeting ID: 841 6660 2982).

While it is not a requirement that you register for the festival or pay for a movie ticket, we certainly hope that you will and enjoy some of the films in our amazing program. Don't forget to use the 20% discount code for CNU members (CNU2020) at the festival's main website, https://bcff2020.eventive.org/welcome.

About the Better Cities Film Festival

Moving the Better Cities flagship festival to the City of Detroit is among CNU24's legacies. To quote Chris Elisara, co-founder of First+Main Films, "Local CNU leaders recruited the film festival to the City of Detroit. We're excited about the developing partnerships in Detroit and seeing the festival expand and grow its international impact with the pre-eminent urban revitalization story across America."

Before COVID changed their plans, the festival was shaping up to be a big local event at Cinema Detroit and the Siren hotel, the official hospitality host of the festival and project by former CNU board member Steve Maun. If all goes well next year, then the festival will happen in real time over four days in Detroit, in addition to being a virtual festival. The festival is truly a global event, and some of the first people attendees have joined us from Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Peru, and more. That is something to be quite proud of, and we hope to spread the word even more next year.?

Co-Hosts and Newsletter Sponsors

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Dear?Friend, please join us next week at the Better Cities Film Festival - a global event that is being hosted virtually from its new home base in Detroit, Michigan!

Next week and from October 8 through 11, the Better Cities Film Festival will be screening?the World''s most inspiring stories about making cities and villages better places for everyone.

The annual festival collects, curates, and presents the best films from around the world on the theme?of making cities and towns better places to live, work, and play. This year it will present over 80 films from 26 countries on the theme of making better cities, towns and neighborhoods. The film categories include Better Communities, Better Economies for All, Better Environment, Better Planning & Design, Better Technology & innovation, Better Transport, Bicycling & Cities, Engineering & Cities, Housing & Cities, Next Generation & Cities, Water & Cities, World Games & Cities.?

Films will be available to viewers worldwide and starting October 8 at 7:00 am EDT at the virtual festival site. The site is live and ready for ticket purchases here: https://bcff2020.eventive.org/. Festival passes are available as single screening tickets, a five-screening pass, or all-access pass. After purchasing a pass, viewers have 7-days to finish watching their films.

Bargain Tickets! All CNU members are eligible for a 20% discount for any ticket pass. The passcode for this is CNU2020 (enter the code when buying your pass online).? There is also an additional special offering for Michigan members of CNU, with a $50 discount off the price of a Full Pass (for the Full Pass, this is more than 20%).

In addition to the flagship four-day event, Better Cities Film Festival?also has a traveling festival. The Better Cities Best of Fest reel is available for screening to community groups anywhere. These stories can help cities by inspiring conversation and change.?

. . .

Exciting News for Michigan!

The Better Cities Film Festival moved to DETROIT in 2020! In 2021 the festival hopes to resume a traditional format in Detroit, with screenings and special events at Cinema Detroit and other venues. "Detroit is the pre-eminent urban revitalization story in America today, and so it''s the perfect home for Better Cities Film Festival," said Chris Elisara, co-founder of First+Main Films. "Local leaders recruited the film festival to Detroit. We''re excited about the developing partnerships in the city, and seeing the festival expand and grow its international impact from Detroit."

. . .

About the Better Cities Film Festival

An annual event, the festival?was originally founded in 2013 in Los Angeles. Since then, it has received over 800 submissions and emerged as a platform for a new genre in film. "Our mission has been to find and share stories that will inspire other cities and communities to become better," said John Paget, co-founder of First+Main Films, which produces and operates the festival.

"The festival is rooted in the community building experience of people gathering to watch together. Unfortunately, the pandemic forced us to move the festival online, but we''re forging ahead, excited to be reaching a global audience online." said Joshua Paget, festival director. "During this challenging time, we know that now, more than ever, communities everywhere need ideas, inspiration and imagination. And that''s what Better Cities Film Festival delivers."

www.bettercitiesfilmfestival.com

. . .

MiCNU Michigan Chapter | Co-Host of the Festival

The Michigan Chapter of CNU is a promotional partner for this event. We will be hosting a panel discussion event through Zoom for the Better Planning and Design film block; and we will also be hosting a virtual Happy Hour during the event.

Co-Host and Newsletter Sponsors

?

Dear?Friend, please join us next week at the Better Cities Film Festival - a global event that is being hosted virtually from its new home base in Detroit, Michigan!

Next week and from October 8 through 11, the Better Cities Film Festival will be screening?the World''s most inspiring stories about making cities and villages better places for everyone.

The annual festival collects, curates, and presents the best films from around the world on the theme?of making cities and towns better places to live, work, and play. This year it will present over 80 films from 26 countries on the theme of making better cities, towns and neighborhoods. The film categories include Better Communities, Better Economies for All, Better Environment, Better Planning & Design, Better Technology & innovation, Better Transport, Bicycling & Cities, Engineering & Cities, Housing & Cities, Next Generation & Cities, Water & Cities, World Games & Cities.?

Films will be available to viewers worldwide and starting October 8 at 7:00 am EDT at the virtual festival site. The site is live and ready for ticket purchases here: https://bcff2020.eventive.org/. Festival passes are available as single screening tickets, a five-screening pass, or all-access pass. After purchasing a pass, viewers have 7-days to finish watching their films.

Bargain Tickets! All CNU members are eligible for a 20% discount for any ticket pass. The passcode for this is CNU2020 (enter the code when buying your pass online).? There is also an additional special offering for Michigan members of CNU, with a $50 discount off the price of a Full Pass (for the Full Pass, this is more than 20%).

In addition to the flagship four-day event, Better Cities Film Festival?also has a traveling festival. The Better Cities Best of Fest reel is available for screening to community groups anywhere. These stories can help cities by inspiring conversation and change.?

. . .

Exciting News for Michigan!

The Better Cities Film Festival moved to DETROIT in 2020! In 2021 the festival hopes to resume a traditional format in Detroit, with screenings and special events at Cinema Detroit and other venues. "Detroit is the pre-eminent urban revitalization story in America today, and so it''s the perfect home for Better Cities Film Festival," said Chris Elisara, co-founder of First+Main Films. "Local leaders recruited the film festival to Detroit. We''re excited about the developing partnerships in the city, and seeing the festival expand and grow its international impact from Detroit."

. . .

About the Better Cities Film Festival

An annual event, the festival?was originally founded in 2013 in Los Angeles. Since then, it has received over 800 submissions and emerged as a platform for a new genre in film. "Our mission has been to find and share stories that will inspire other cities and communities to become better," said John Paget, co-founder of First+Main Films, which produces and operates the festival.

"The festival is rooted in the community building experience of people gathering to watch together. Unfortunately, the pandemic forced us to move the festival online, but we''re forging ahead, excited to be reaching a global audience online." said Joshua Paget, festival director. "During this challenging time, we know that now, more than ever, communities everywhere need ideas, inspiration and imagination. And that''s what Better Cities Film Festival delivers."

www.bettercitiesfilmfestival.com

. . .

MiCNU Michigan Chapter | Co-Host of the Festival

The Michigan Chapter of CNU is a promotional partner for this event. We will be hosting a panel discussion event through Zoom for the Better Planning and Design film block; and we will also be hosting a virtual Happy Hour during the event.

Co-Host and Newsletter Sponsors

?

Friend --

Stop being dense. Start talking about density.

Density is on trial. The COVID crisis has put the notion of density in the crosshairs.?

Some prognosticators portend the end of the "City." Other urbanists are raising concerns about equity in any assessment of an urbanist-oriented COVID response. And yet other urbanists see density as a salve, as encroaching economic constraints could be the death knell of the suburban experiment.?

New Urbanists know that these conversations aren't binary. Density doesn't cause disease, though being dense about how places for people are made, might.?

There's a smart way to deliver density. At CNU's annual Congress, this year a virtual event, we're digging into how density is done right, for all. And we're offering a density of sessions, awards ceremonies, plenaries and social events to trade thoughts, best practices and ideas that will define the future.??

Single session registration

That density of ideas starts with the sessions on offer this year. As a virtual gathering, CNU 28 provides the opportunity to register for single sessions, in addition to the typical one-day and four-day options. Registering for single sessions is perfect for those who may feel overwhelmed by the full agenda, can only attend a handful of sessions, or want to build out a personalized experience.

For example, want to build a density-themed track and plug in to sessions like "Urban Design Guild: There is Density and There is Crowding," featuring Andres Duany, or "Healthy Density: What COVID 19 Forces Us to Confront"?

Simply visit the CNU 28 agenda, review the sessions by day to create your perfect schedule, then follow the link to register.

And while you're here, be sure to check out all of the offerings CNU 28 has in store.?

From the annual CNU Charter Awards ceremony, which will close out this year's Congress reflecting on 20 years' worth of recipients, to plenaries featuring CNU co-founder, Peter Calthorpe and Robin Chase, the co-founder and former CEO of ZipCar, CNU 28 is the essential meeting point for urbanists looking to ready their communities for resiliency, post-pandemic or otherwise.?

See the full agenda of all sessions and events here.

Get your Zoom on.

Each day, after the sessions are complete, CNU 28 will offer opportunities to connect, unwind and Zoom the night away in special Happy Hour and virtual social settings.?

Perhaps you're looking for some vigorous debate about the "Great Lakes" - well, there's a Zoom room for that. Or maybe you're looking to connect with fellow alumni from Notre Dame or your local CNU Chapter. It's a veritable virtual feast of social options. Just scroll to the end of each day''s agenda for the social?sessions.

What it means to be a virtual Congress?

There's something to be said about having access to some of the world's leading urbanists in your pocket. We've all become a bit more familiar with living online of late, and have seen how physical distancing need not mean social distancing. Although we won't meet in person this year, CNU 28 allows you the full benefits of a typical Congress event.?

We've got detailed instructions on how it'll all work - all you need is your phone, tablet, or computer - to access everything that CNU 28 offers, including easy ways to translate sessions into more than 55 continuing education credits via AIA, APA, ASLA, or CNU-A.

Deadline for early bird registration is coming soon - make your mark and save before prices rise on June 5!

Thank you to our CNU 28 Sponsors.

Join this growing list of CNU 28 sponsors here.

Transformative
ESG Architecture & Design
Walton Family Foundation

Visionary
The Lander Group

Sustainable
DPZ CoDESIGN
Opticos Design
Black + Vernooy

Community
AARP Livable Communities
Cornish Associates & Mashpee Commons
Thadani Architects + Urbanists
Urban3
Zimmerman/Volk Associates, Inc.

Neighborhood
Farr Associates
PlaceMakers, LLC
Principle Group
Stantec
Torti Gallas + Partners
Van Meter Williams Pollack LLP

Green
BKV Group
Crabtree Group, Inc.
Collage Architects
Damon Farber Landscape Architects
Hoisington Koegler Group, Inc.
LHB, Inc.
SRF Consulting Group

Public Interest
City of Bloomington, MN
City of Edina, MN
City of Minneapolis, MN
City of Rochester, MN
City of Saint Louis Park, MN
City of Saint Paul, MN
Fresh Energy
Hennepin County
Macalester College
Montgomery County Planning Department
Ramsey County

Public Square
Ball State University
Minnesota Design Center
The Musicant Group
Schafer Richardson
Steve Maun
Thomas Comitta Associates

A la Carte
Laura M. Heery
Watson-Forsberg Co.
YARD & Company

In-Kind
Active Towns

Legacy Project
F.R. Bigelow Foundation
Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation
HRA City of Bloomington
City of Richfield, MN

Congress for the New Urbanism
cnu.org/cnu28/register

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Friend --

On Tuesday, CNU launched a new platform for members and allies to discuss, engage, and debate how we as a movement can respond in these unprecedented times. On the Park Bench: A Public Square Conversation presents an opportunity for the CNU audience to engage with thought leaders in New Urbanism and allied industries in real time.

You can now view Tuesday's conversation, New Urbanism for a New World: Perspectives from Laurie Volk, Seth Harry, Mike Lydon, and Ashleigh Walton, here.

Next week, we'll continue the conversation with Victor Dover, Principal-in-Charge at Dover, Kohl, & Partners, and Kim DeLaney, Director of Strategic Development & Policy at Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council. Both Victor and Kim have experience using virtual public engagement strategies to increase participation from underrepresented groups and hear from a more diverse audience-strategies that gain new relevance in a time of social distancing.

I hope you'll join us next Tuesday, April 7th, from 12-1pm EST for the second webinar in our series, Virtual Public Engagement: Developing a More Inclusive Approach to Charrettes. This webinar is available for 1 AICP CM credit, if it''s viewed live.?Click here to RSVP.

Sincerely,?

Lynn Richards
President & CEO, CNU

Friend --

The Congress begins.

CNU 28 is here. This year, the Congress is held virtually against a backdrop of increasing urgency to deliver solutions that build complete communities that are inclusive, equitable, and accessible to all.

We've taken the Congress online to broadcast, share, and exchange the ideas and core principles that have made CNU the driver of positive urbanist change over the past 30 years - and to lay out the blueprints of building better communities for years to come.

How to Participate.

CNU 28 is online this year. Plenaries, breakout sessions, awards ceremonies, art rooms, fun runs, happy hours, and more than 70 continuing education credits - everything you'd expect from an in-person Congress - are at your fingertips.

Once registered, all you'll need is?CNU Connect, the app - available for your tablet, iPhone, or Android - that immerses you in the full Congress experience.

Simply search for "CNU Connect" in your tablet or mobile device's app store and click to install. Select the CNU 28.A Virtual Gathering event within the "CNU Connect" app and login using the same email address that you used to register for the Congress. Registered users will also receive a link to the desktop website.

Once you've created a login, you'll be able to dig into session details, create a customized agenda of sessions and events, connect and chat with colleagues and fellow attendees, interact with sponsors at the virtual Exhibit Hall, and access all that CNU 28 has to offer.

Registration is still open! Sign up for just the sessions you want with single-session registrations starting at $20. Or get access to everything for as little as $225.

Work Your Core.

Starting today, June 8, build your core urbanist knowledge with 16 pre-Congress sessions that provide the fundamentals of New Urbanism, from "Walkable City Rules" with Walkable City: How Downtown Saves America, One Step at a Time author, Jeff Speck to "Transit-Oriented Development" with Strategic Economics President, Dena Belzer, there's something for everyone.

Take a peek at all the Core New Urbanist educational sessions - included in the Live and Live+Archive Congress registrations at no additional costs.

Address Structural Inequities - Propose Actionable, Lasting Changes.

In light of the tragic killing of George Floyd and so very many before him, and in response to endemic issues of inequity in the United States, CNU's Board of Directors recently issued a statement reinforcing its commitment to be a force for positive change in communities of color.

CNU 28 will offer opportunities to?engage in difficult conversations about structural issues embedded in historic, and contemporary, policies that encode unequal outcomes in our cities and towns, in sessions like "Redressing Redlining: Lessons in Realities and Reconciliation," and "The Mapping Prejudice Project: Confronting a Legacy of Racial Covenants in Minneapolis Neighborhoods."

Further, CNU 28 will include discussion on the foundations for building practices that are open, resilient, and responsive for communities too often left behind, in sessions such as "Health & Housing: Equitable Drivers of Neighborhood Transformation" and "New Tools for Urban Resilience."?CNU hopes that these conversations serve to catalyze action in addressing systemic racism, as it is manifest within the built environment.

All Week Long.

On June 10, the Congress kicks into high gear: Plenary sessions from top urbanist thinkers, such as a conversation between editorial director of SPUR, and New York Times' contributor, Allison Arieff, and journalist Emily Badger; a discussion on mobility and affordability moderated by Eric Shaw, Director of Housing, San Francisco, for the Mayor''s Office of Housing and Community Development; breakout sessions that detail designs for everything from health and housing ("Health & Housing: Equitable Drivers of Neighborhood Transformation") to readying communities to respond to COVID-19 ("A Tale of Two Cities: An Urban Response to Inequality After a Pandemic"), to advocacy and action strategies to address affordability climate change challenges (see Saturday's slate of sessions). This year's Congress will conclude with a Charter Awards ceremony that celebrates 20 years of planning excellence.

And don't forget: after the sessions, you'll be able to engage and interact at digital happy hours and events with all your urbanist friends.

View the full agenda here.

Register now.

Questions?

If you have questions about the event app or online platform, please contact socio+cnu@socio.events. If you have questions about CNU or your registration for CNU 28, please email support@cnu.org.

Thank you to our CNU 28 sponsors.

Transformative
ESG Architecture & Design
Walton Family Foundation

Visionary
The Lander Group

Sustainable
Destination Medical Center
DPZ CoDESIGN
Opticos Design
Black + Vernooy
University of Miami, School of Architecture, Master of Real Estate Development

Community
AARP Livable Communities
Cornish Associates
Thadani Architects + Urbanists
Urban3
Zimmerman/Volk Associates, Inc.

Neighborhood
Farr Associates
ISG Inc.
PlaceMakers, LLC
Principle Group
Stantec
Torti Gallas + Partners
Van Meter Williams Pollack LLP

Green
BKV Group
Collage Architects
Crabtree Group, Inc.
Damon Farber Landscape Architects
Hoisington Koegler Group, Inc.
LHB, Inc.
The Musicant Group
SRF Consulting Group

Public Interest
Capitol Area Architecture & Planning Board
City of Bloomington, MN
City of Edina, MN
Fresh Energy
Hennepin County, MN
Macalester College
Metropolitan Council
City of Minneapolis, MN
Montgomery County Planning Department
Ramsey County, MN
City of Rochester, MN
City of Saint Louis Park, MN
City of Saint Paul, MN

Public Square
Ball State University
Bolton & Menk, Inc.
The Cornerstone Group
Leyland Alliance
Minnesota Design Center
Schafer Richardson
Thomas Comitta Associates

A la Carte
Ever-Green Energy
Laura M. Heery
Steve Maun
Watson-Forsberg Co.
YARD & Company

In-Kind
Active Towns

Legacy Project
F.R. Bigelow Foundation
HRA City of Bloomington
City of Richfield, MN
Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation
City of Saint Paul: Planning & Economic Development

Congress for the New Urbanism
http://members.cnu.org/

Friend --

The Congress for the New Urbanism's 2021 Charter Awards are?open for submissions through February 9, 2021. CNU''s Charter Awards recognize outstanding achievements in architecture, landscape and urban design, and planning worldwide.?

Applicants can submit a project on the CNU website at?www.cnu.org/charter-awards. A focus of the jury this year will be on projects that support the public realm. Charter Awards recognize projects at three scales:

• The Region: Metropolis, City, and Town
• Neighborhood, District, and Corridor
• Block, Street, and Building

Projects that celebrate an active public realm, embody a wide range of the?Charter of the New Urbanism?principles, and are currently built or being implemented are strongly encouraged to apply. Student projects are also encouraged to apply.

CNU has a limited number of need-based application scholarships available for the 2021?Charter Awards.?If you have been economically impacted by the pandemic and are interested in submitting a project, please contact Avery Kelly at?akelly@cnu.org.?

Submissions for the?2021 Charter Awards?will be open until February 9, 2021. If you have any questions, please contact Avery Kelly at?akelly@cnu.org.

Congress for the New Urbanism
http://members.cnu.org/