Organization News

CNU made news in New England in recent months. At its late winter meeting, CNU’s board was pleased to name Providence, Rhode Island, the site of the 14th Congress for the New Urbanism in 2006. In choosing Providence, board members cited the strong support of Mayor David N. Cicilline, who led a delegation that came to Chicago to make the city’s successful pitch. In addition to the city’s highly urban vision for revitalizing its neighborhoods and riverfront, another factor in Pro-vidence’s favor was the area’s strong member support and leadership. That leadership became even clearer this spring when a group of New England members joined together to form a new provisional CNU chapter. The New England group expects to become CNU’s second registered chapter, joining the Florida chapter which formed in 2003. The new chapter will take the lead in building community and “weaving our society together,” said David Dixon, a chapter founder and principal at Goody, Clancy & Associates in Boston. “Here in New England, New Urbanism is viewed more about community building than almost anywhere else in the country.” The New England chapter held its inaugural event in Boston on May 5th, a panel discussion entitled “New Urbanism in New England – Revisiting Traditional Neighborhood Design.” Open to the public, the event attracted 122 people and kicked off the chapter’s fundraising efforts. The group’s next event is a visioning meeting on June 16th at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy in Cambridge, Mass. The meeting will generate a mission for the chapter and a set of projects addressing issues of regional importance. CNU congratulates the New England chapter on its strong start. Visit www.cnunewengland.org for more on this exciting development. u