The city on the net

Since CNU was founded, the movement has in large part developed in conferences, seminars, summits, and newsletters. But every week, hundreds of urbanists are learning from intense on-line discussions. Electronic resources, both from CNU and from other urbanist allies, are absolutely crucial for ongoing education. Here are some of the best. CNU.org The CNU website is one of those places where the more you dig, the more you find. First, there are the basics: The Charter of the New Urbanism, a tour that introduces the movement, a store where one can buy CNU books, and information on the upcoming Congress. Looking deeper, there are several huge databases of information: a directory of CNU members, a directory of new urbanist projects (often with more information than one finds in the annual New Urban News listing), a jobs board, and a list of open requests for proposals. There is also a well annotated page of links to New Urbanism-related resources on the web. Some of the best information on the site is a bit hidden — something we're working to fix. For example, the list of new urban projects has a good 600 projects listed. If you are a CNU member, you should log on to CNU.org and ensure that your member profile is up-to-date, and then look at the full range of options that are available to members only (under “My CNU”). CNU.org was recently mentioned in the University of Wisconsin's esteemed Scout Report of internet resources. Any suggestions about ways to make the site more user-friendly are welcome. Please send ideas to Laura Otis, lotis@cnu.org. Planetizen.com Planetizen has the definitive collection of news stories related to urbanism, growth management, and urban design. Its news stories are submitted by readers, so any time you see an interesting story, you can post a link. The site has extensive jobs listings, useful paid announcements, and decent op-eds that spur surprisingly high-quality discussions. If you want to be alerted to the latest news stories a few times per week, click the link to "Get Planetizen on your handheld or by e-mail." Over 10,000 people receive the twice-weekly e-mail summarizing recent news. pro-urb Over 500 urbanists take part in this high-caliber e-mail list managed by CNU member Lucy Rowland at the University of Georgia. Recent discussions have included an intense critique of California's Santana Row, how to accommodate churches in urban zones, and the differences between Randall Arendt's conservation subdivisions and green-field New Urbanism. Discussions are intense, and the list occasionally hits its limit of 50 postings per day. (Subscribe at your own risk!) This old-fashioned listserv sends only e-mail, with no ads or spam. Unfortunately, Pro-Urb's archive is accessible only to active subscribers. To maintain the high level of discussion the list moderator pre-qualifies subscribers. Applicants are required to have substantial experience in the field. Apply at: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=pro-urb&A=1. Congress on New Urbanism This oddly named listserv is administered at the University of Kentucky. It is unmoderated, so anyone can join and take part in the discussions. It is not at the technical level of Pro-Urb, but it has many illuminating posts nonetheless. It’s especially useful as a source of news and a solid introduction to the issues facing New Urbanism. Apply by writing to LISTSERV @LSV.UKY.EDU with the words "subscribe cnu" in the body of the message. CNU mailing lists CNU runs eight e-mail lists, six of which correspond to the six CNU task forces. The most subscribed list is that of the Transportation Task Force, with over 125 subscribers. Other lists cover development and project implementation, design, environment, educators, and planners. There are additional lists on visitability and for attorneys. The discussions, when they take place, are always very dense and informative, but too few people take advantage of these resources. Subscribers must be CNU members. Subscribe by logging on to CNU.org and following the link for "e-mail lists." Timelessway Created by Students for the New Urbanism members at the University of Illinois, this international e-mail list is for students and those involved in academia. Its name refers to Christopher Alexander, inspiration to generations of students and new urbanists. According to founder Genevieve Borich, "It is meant to focus on creating cities for people. This list will serve as a medium through which students and those in academic fields of all backgrounds can share thoughts, questions, and ideas about the future of our cities-towns-villages-neighborhoods." To join, write to Genevieve Borich at borich@uiuc.edu with the subject heading: "Request to join timelessway," with your school information in the body of the message.