The New Urbanist movement has dramatically transformed the way that illustrations and renderings are incorporated into the dialog of community planning and placemaking. New Urbanism has provided a means of visual communication that enables citizens from all walks of life to become engaged in planning their neighborhoods and communities. Beautiful artwork, vivid illustrations, compelling plans and communicative explanatory diagrams are all part of The Art of the New Urbanism. This important exhibit features visualization artworks produced by a broad range of new urbanist practitioners throughout the history of the movement.
Around the world, cities that have welcomed pedestrians and cyclists have reaped enormous benefits: improved public health, revived local economies, more resilient neighborhoods, and happier citizens. Walkable City author Jeff Speck lays out what it takes to get people out of their cars and onto their feet, exploring a wide range of best practices to make cities and towns more walkable, bikeable, and successful.
A book signing will immediately follow.
Jeff B. Speck, CNU-A, AICP, LEED AP, Honorary ASLA, Principal, Speck & Associates LLC
Join us for drinks and light refreshments at The Fillmore before we commence the 24th annual Congress for the New Urbanism.
CNU opens the 24th annual Congress for New Urbanism in Detroit at the historic Fillmore Theater. Former Charleston Mayor Joseph "Joe" Riley, Jr., one Of America's longest-serving mayors, addresses the Congress.
Mayor Joseph Riley Jr. was first elected mayor of Charleston, S.C., in December 1975 and ended his 40 years in office earlier this year. Riley has led a city government with an impressive record of innovation in public safety, housing, arts and culture, children’s issues, the creation of park and other public spaces, and economic revitalization and development. Charleston is recognized as one of the most livable and progressive cities in the United States.
Prior to Mayor Riley, Carol Coletta, a leading expert on urban transformation policy and newly named Senior Fellow at The Kresge Foundation, examines philanthropy's role in shaping great places.
Carol Coletta, Senior Fellow, American Cities Practice, Kresge Foundation Doug Farr, CNU-A, President and Founding Principal, Farr Associates Architecture & Urban Design Lynn Richards, President & CEO, CNU Joseph Riley, Former Mayor, City of Charleston
A CNU tradition! Make new friends and catch up with the old ones on the annual NextGen pub crawl. Meet from the CNU reception at The Fillmore and head to Corktown on the westside of downtown.
Locations to be announced soon.
Drinks x Design is a monthly open studio that provides exposure and networking opportunities for Detroit’s creative community. Held in a new location on the second Thursday of every month, Drinks x Design offers an opportunity for creative businesses throughout the city to open their doors and share their work with the public. Attendees come to meet new people, make connections, promote their creative endeavors and learn about other projects in their community. The evening’s theme is Community Design.
Brought to you by Drinks x Design, Detroit Future City, and CNU NextGen.
Join us in the parlor for urban exchange! Thursdays 6pm in Detroit. Hosted by Claire Nelson & Wayne Ramocan. Locals & travelers welcome!
Follow us @urbanconsulate or visit urbanconsulate.com.
James Howard Kunstler is a household name among planners, architects and neighbourhood activists alike. Author of The Geography of Nowhere and The Long Emergency, Kunstler has been offering a critical analysis of the manner in which we have built our towns and cities during the latter half of the twentieth century and in to present day. Kunstler’s writing presents us with a harsh reality that the manner in which we’ve been arranging the human environment lacks the environmental, social and economic sustainability that our ancestors possessed when they built the traditional towns and cities we’ve now come to cherish.
Join us for a compelling evening and learn about the role that small towns and cities will play moving into an uncertain future, and how communities with close connections to agricultural land and major waterways hold a unique advantage over others with renowned author James Howard Kunstler.
James H. Kunstler, Author, The City in Mind: Notes on the Urban Condition
The New Urbanism Film Festival showcases short and feature length documentaries about the urban environment. Held every Fall in Los Angeles, audiences are engaged in new urbanism theory, history, and practical case studies. This event showcases the winning films from the 2015 festival.
For a complete line up of films, check out newurbanismfilmfestival.com/detroit.
Top 5 code hacks for Zoning and Building Code workaround by practioners. Brought to you by IncDev Alliance and CNU NextGen.
Back for more and with new cards for CNU 24. Brought you by Do Tank DC and CNU NextGen.
The Fit 2 a T: Transect-based Fashion Show is back for the second year in a row--brought to you by Do Tank DC, the same crew who is partly (ir)responsible for Cards Against Urbanity. In keeping with our goal of making urbanism fun and approachable, Fit 2 a T is a new way of looking at the transect--through the lens of fashion!
Watch your friends - both male and female - walk the runway while wearing appropriate clothing for each transect. Do you know what's appropriate for T-2? or T-4? Come find out! This year, outfits will have a special Detroit flair--don't miss it! Brought you by Do Tank DC and CNU NextGen.
Build Bazaar is a rotating pop-up marketplace celebrating emerging entrepreneurs from our Build Institute programs. From artisanal candles and soap, to fresh baked goods and handmade wares, every event will feature an exciting and diverse range of local vendors. Shop the bazaar and support the small business economy in Detroit!
CNU Partners with Pecha Kucha Detroit for an evening of talks that address this year’s Congress theme, "The Transforming City." Interested in presenting? Read the full announcement HERE.
Please join us for a special evening of robust conversation over dinner at the new Urban Consulate in Detroit. Led by community planner Lauren Hood of Live6 Alliance, Dinner & Dialogue allows conference attendees the opportunity to discuss the Detroit story with actual Detroiters. Enjoy a family-style Creole meal prepared by a local Detroit chef with New Orleans roots. Commune with small business owners, artists & activists as we engage in an open dialogue about where Detroit is, how we got here, and where we're going!
Seating is limited. Menu & directions will be emailed to guests in advance.
Tickets: $75 per person. Registration site coming soon!
The Debates are keeping to their edgy roots. Loud music: check. Audience voting: check. Snarky panel: check. Oh, and beer. A hardcore mashup of Oxford Debating meets American Idol. Match-ups to be announced soon.
Brought to you by Strong Towns and CNU NextGen.
Riverside Drive, once a thriving commercial street separating downtown Windsor from the Detroit River Waterfront, is now utilized by speedy motorists as a quick way to move across the City of Windsor. Recently the subject of debate, turning this four-lane highway of sorts into safer and more comfortable place for people has offered an immense challenge to Windsor’s urban planners hoping to better connect the city centre with a world class riverfront park.
The Windsor Region Society of Architects in association with the City of Windsor and the Downtown Farmers Market will leverage tactical urbanism to calm traffic on Riverside drive and reactive the space for pedestrians, cyclists and merchants. Demonstrating that a street can function as a both a corridor for transportation while accommodating other users, the road diet will reactive Riverside Drive for a day with tactical urbanism demonstrations, opportunities to participate in the construction of guerilla street furniture and play host to a pop-up farmers market.
Seeing a great design solution out in the field and then remembering it for later use is a tremendous asset to those involved in making new walkable places. Join us to learn hands-on techniques to improve your “visual design library”. Grab your sketch pad, pencils, brushes, camera and other graphic tools of choice as we head outside for a quick guided session to practice sketching and painting in the field. Leading practitioners will provide helpful tips and demonstrations of techniques.
David Csont, Architectural Illustrator, Urban Design Associates James Dougherty, Director of Design, Dover, Kohl & Partners Planning Arti Harchekar, Associate, Opticos Design, Inc Cailin Shannon, Senior Designer, Opticos Design, Inc
Join your fellow Congress-goers and local Detroit residents for an evening of fun to close out the 24th annual Congress for the New Urbanism. The closing party is located at Campus Martius, in the heart of Downtown Detroit.
This event is free and open to the public.