CNU27 is in Louisville June 11-15
Congress of New Urbanism (CNU) Comes to Louisville
June 11-15
Events Free and Open to the Public
The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU), the nation’s most prestigious organization working to build great places and walkable, vibrant neighborhoods, will host its 27th annual Congress in Louisville, Kentucky June 11-15, 2019.
The annual Congress for the New Urbanism is the premiere national placemaking event, convening 1500+ diverse, interdisciplinary urbanists and placemakers to exchange ideas, explore urban places, work alongside residents, and learn in the field. Attendees come from all fifty states and dozens of countries, and the Congress reaches hundreds of thousands more through our member base and digital reach. Congress programming is varied and accessible to urbanists and members of the public at any level of knowledge and understanding of New Urbanism.
The Congress is a transformative experience for its attendees and host region. With a special focus on Louisville in 2019, Congress participants will debate and discuss emerging trends in city and town building, as well as technical solutions to the new and persistent challenges to building places people love. Themes of special interest include the relationship between urban and suburban places, best practices for greenways and open space, and the relationship of urbanism to the compassionate city. Our sessions and workshops empower participants to practice cutting-edge placemaking strategies, while the relationships built at the Congress can strengthen participants’ work and grow into major initiatives.
As part of its partnership with Louisville, a number of CNU events will be FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. This is a wonderful opportunity for our community, and we urge citizens to attend as many of these events as possible:
Tuesday, June 11th 4:30-6:30pm, Seellbach Hotel
Regional Plenary session, “Designing the Healthy City of the Future”
Each day, new information, insights, and understandings are beginning to emerge – some for the first time – on the relationship of the built environment on key public health problems, from obesity and diabetes to depression and cardiovascular disease. Much of the understanding of these connections are the result of initiatives that can now provide measurable data and information, often the result of environmental and medical studies and analyses. With new data and information at hand, how can we holistically integrate and prioritize improved community health and wellness into the design of our communities?
“Designing the Healthy City of the Future” provides an appropriate setting to discuss this important question. The Congress for New Urbanism has for three decades an advocate for smarter growth methods, believing that well-designed cities and neighborhoods are crucial for our health, economy, and environment. Louisville, Kentucky is currently serving as a laboratory for some of the nation’s most promising initiatives on community health and wellness. Bringing together a mix of perspectives on this issue from the design, medical, environmental, and community health fields to discuss this important issue will be valuable to breaking down the barriers among these fields, leading to a highly collaborative and fully integrated approach.
Wednesday, June 12, 5:30 – 7:00pm Louisville Palace
Opening Plenary Session, “Compassion at the Core: Toward a More Human City”
What does it mean to be a compassionate city? Is it something that can be built into the ethos and the design of a community? Since taking office in 2010, Mayor Greg Fischer has made compassion one of the pillars of his administration, and Louisville has become a leader in the Compassionate City movement. Much of the inspiration of this work has derived from the spirit, principles and the humanity of Muhammad Ali, Louisville’s most renowned native son. His torch continues to bur even after his death through the efforts of his wife Lonnie and the millions of people across the globe who continue to see him as a beacon of light and compassion. Hear from both Mrs. Ali and Mayor Fischer as they discuss the inspiration and the evolution of Louisville as a City of Compassion. Join us as well in recognizing the 2019 Legacy Projects that CNU sponsored with local Louisville neighborhood groups and volunteer design teams in four different neighborhoods this past March
Thursday, June 13, 5:30 – 7:00pm Louisville Palace
Thursday Plenary Session, “Building Together: Urbanism as an engine for Resilient, Fair Communities”
Building on Wednesday’s plenary session, this special two-part event challenges participants to reflect and act on our nation’s and the world’s most pressing challenges: the persistence of systematic inequalities in our cities and towns, and the coming climate change that is reinforcing and aggravating these inequalities. Smart Growth America’s CEO Calvin Gladney will moderate a vital conversation about the prospects for American cities, both those that are experiencing strong growth, and those that are still struggling to recover from years of disinvestment, racial segregation, and lack of opportunity. How do we identify and implement strategies that can actively help revitalize underserved communities, yet avoid displacement and increase access to opportunity? Come hear this critical conversation on recovering from disinvestment in cities in ways that uplift all residents and create thriving communities. Next, noted urbanist and author Douglas Kelbaugh illustrates the urgent challenges that climate change poses, as it creates proliferating physical, social, political and cultural problems 9and opportunities), especially in cities. Kelbaugh boldly envisions healthy, climate-smart, and resilient communities through better design, planning and policy.
Saturday, June 15th 10:00 – 11:00pm Seelbach Hotel
Louisville Legacy Projects: 1) Woodlawn Avenue; 2) 18th Street Corridor
In March, special CNU led teams worked with the local communities to create improvement strategies in the Woodlawn Avenue area and along 18th Street in West Louisville. Join us as the teams review the recommendations and discuss implementation efforts that have already begun.
Saturday, June 15th 11:15 -12:15pm Seelbach Hotel
Louisville Legacy Projects: 1) Beargrass Creek; 2) East Portland
In March, special CNU led teams worked with the local communities to create improvement strategies along Beargrass Creek and in the East Portland area. Join us as the teams review the recommendations and discuss implementation efforts that have already begun.
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