Board Statement on Inclusion
For more than two decades, CNU has been working at the building, block, neighborhood, city, and regional scales to create more inclusive places and equitable communities. All of this work is reflected within CNU's statement on inclusion, initiated by the National Board of Directors in March 2016, and formally adopted in September 2018:
We—the National Board of the Congress for the New Urbanism—challenge, encourage, and support all members of the New Urbanist movement to reaffirm the Charter’s commitment to building great places for all people, regardless of background, race, income, or ability, and to create a more inclusive, engaged movement. Drawing on our movement’s tradition of excellence in community design and (re)development, New Urbanists shall further develop, evolve, and implement strategies and solutions for providing attainable housing, designing and financing diverse neighborhoods, and ultimately building a just place.
The promise of the Charter—to build and make economically viable, stable, and environmentally healthy communities within a coherent physical framework—can only be fulfilled by identifying and confronting exclusionary policies, practices, and behaviors; empowering those who have been most affected; and committing ourselves to accelerating actions and strategies that foster more inclusive communities.