All live On the Park Bench webinars qualify for one CEU credit from AICP (click here for more on tracking and reporting). Additionally, CNU-A members can earn one CEU credit for all live and recorded On the Park Bench webinars (click here for more information on tracking and reporting).
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December 3, 2024 |
Steven Semes discussed his new book, New Building in Old Cities: Writings by Gustavo Giovannoni on Architectural and Urban Conservation. Semes, a Notre Dame professor, explained how Giovannoni promoted new urbanist ideas in 1931 and was one of many influential 20th-century designers neglected in the history books. The interviewer was the architect and academic Matt Bell.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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November 26, 2024 |
Jeff Speck and Joanna Lombard discussed Walkability for a Restorative Urbanism. The greatest predictors of longevity and health are physical activity and social interaction outside of one’s family circle, and research proves that the design of the neighborhood you live in impacts those variables. Lombard and Speck explained links to declining health related to sprawl, and how urban design solutions can help. The interviewer was Public Square editor Robert Steuteville.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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November 12, 2024 |
Michael Dennis and Richard Economakis discussed Michael's new book, The Venetian Façade. The discussion looked at the role of the facade in architecture and urbanism.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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October 29, 2024 |
LC Clemons and new urbanist colleagues reported on planning work in Western North Carolina that leverages placemaking to help communities recover from the devastation of Hurricane Helene. The discussion included a tactical neighborhood hub deployment and the need for a new urbanist response as a necessary first step in a more equitable and just long-term recovery. CNU's Rob Steuteville moderated the discussion.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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October 15, 2024 |
Rebecca Rockey and Chris Leinberger discussed their report, Reimagining Cities: Disrupting the Urban Doom Loop, about how to revitalize downtowns and urban centers in post-Covid America. The analysis is first-of-its-kind analysis yields a formula for how cities may recover at a time when many people are working remotely. CNU's Robert Steuteville moderated the webinar.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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August 27, 2024 |
Author Fernando Pages Ruiz discussed Building An Affordable House: Second Edition. The book is a complete rewrite of his Taunton Press classic of almost 20 years ago, and he adds his impressive new urbanist development and planning knowledge to the most comprehensive and honest discussion of affordable housing construction issues. The webinar was moderated by CNU's Robert Steuteville.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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August 20, 2024 |
Author Nico Larco discussed the Sustainable Urban Design Handbook. The handbook presents a comprehensive framework that organizes more than 50 elements of sustainable urban design to serve as an on-going reference for anyone involved in the creation of sustainable urban environments. The webinar was moderated by CNU's Lauren Mayer.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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July 2, 2024 |
Rik Adamski of ASH+LIME and Jaime Izurieta of Storefront Mastery joined for a webinar on Third Places—their importance, the conditions they need to thrive, and how communities can support and enhance them. Additionally, they discussed the reasons behind the disappearance of third places and the strategies we can employ to address this loss. CNU's Lauren Mayer moderated.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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June 25, 2024 |
Author Wes Marshall discussed his new book, Killed by a Traffic Engineer. His book reveals the profession’s shaky, unscientific foundations—and points the way to safer, healthier streets. The webinar was moderated by Rob Steuteville.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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June 11, 2024 |
In 2022, the Metropolitan Planning Council documented the equity and environmental harm that transportation infrastructure has historically caused in the Chicago region and sought community-generated ideas to mitigate those harms. The goal was to set a path for local agencies to apply for future grant opportunities. Audrey Wennink, Metropolitan Planning Council; Grace Chan, Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community; and Emma Jasinski, Design Trust Chicago discussed how to identify projects that communities want to advance and the process to do so.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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May 7, 2024 |
Affordable housing experts Bill Neher, who manages the Housing Accelerator Fund in Regina, Saskatchewan, and Murphy Antoine of Torti Gallas + Partners in Washington, DC, discussed affordable housing in North America. Lauren Mayer moderated.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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April 30, 2024 |
Commercial corridors play a pivotal role in community revitalization and economic sustainability. Using a real-world case study from efforts currently underway in Third Ward, Houston, Jason Hyman and Scott Snodgrass decided to take gentrification head on. They explored and highlighted the potential of commercial spaces to function as buffers to the demographics shifts and displacement happening in communities across the country. Rob Steuteville moderated.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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April 16, 2024 |
Author and former CNU board chair Ray Gindroz discussed his gorgeous new book, Taking a Pen for a Walk. As a cofounder of Urban Design Associates, Ray is one of the pioneering architects of the New Urbanism who helped change the design of public housing across America. He also produced pen-and-ink drawings of urban places for many decades, and the book is filled with these drawings, his notes, and insights that he gained from cities across the globe. DPZ Partner and CNU Fellow Marina Khoury moderated the discussion.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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April 2, 2024 |
Author Megan Kimble discussed her new book, City Limits: Infrastructure, Inequality, and the Future of America's Highways. Lauren Mayer was host and moderator.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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March 19, 2024 |
Author Jason King of Dover, Kohl & Partners discussed his new book, The Equity Planner: Five Tools to Facilitate Economic Development with Just Outcomes. Jason was joined by co-author Diana Pena of Able City and Kessie Estil of Dover, Kohl & Partners. Lauren Mayer hosted and moderated the event.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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March 12, 2024 |
The webinar explored Guerilla Urbanism, a spontaneous, commando-style approach to city building. Guerilla Urbanists are armed not with weapons, but imaginative ideas, and they tend to ask forgiveness, rather than permission. Real estate professional Jason Hyman, former Houston planning director Margaret Wallace Brown, and developer Fernando Pages Ruiz presented.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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February 6, 2024 |
Mass transit expert Jarrett Walker discussed the new edition and updating of his widely influential book, Human Transit. The recently released book has many new and substantially rewritten chapters on the many radical changes in cities and transportation over the last dozen years and how they impact transit.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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January 31, 2024 |
Jennifer Krouse of Liberty House Plans, Alli Thurmond Quinlin of Flintlock Lab, and Edward Erfurt of Strong Towns discussed the latest developments in pre-approved building plans. CNU's Robert Steuteville moderated.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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December 19, 2023 |
Amy Groves of Dover Kohl, Wade Walker of Kittelson Associates, and John Simmerman of Active Towns Initiative discussed planning for physical activity through parks, safety, streets, and livable transportation, as exemplified by a highly touted recent plan for Lake Wales, Florida. CNU's Robert Steuteville was moderator.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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November 28, 2023 |
Danielle Arigoni discussed her new book on how communities with aging populations can prepare for climate change. This book argues that older adults should be the lens through which we approach the task of creating more resilient communities. CNU's Lauren Mayer was moderator.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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November 14, 2023 |
John Paget and Chris Elisara discussed the Better Cities Film Festival and the power of storytelling. They also discussed the 10th anniversary festival in Detroit last month and how the festival works with local governments, organizations and groups to enable communities everywhere to screen these stories and inspire conversation and change in their hometowns. CNU's Lauren Mayer moderated.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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October 17, 2023 |
On the Park Bench interviewed Seth Kaplan, author of Fragile Neighborhoods: Repairing American Society, One Zip Code at a Time. In Fragile Neighborhoods, “fragile states” expert Seth D. Kaplan offers a bold new vision for addressing social decline in America. By rethinking physical landscapes and revitalizing local institutions, we can help make every neighborhood a place where people and families can thrive. Robert Steuteville was the moderator.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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October 10, 2023 |
Kristen Jeffers (she/they) presented the framework for her upcoming book and masterclass, A Black Urbanist Journey to an Accessible Queer Feminist Future. In this hour webinar, she went through the three reasons she continues to choose dense urban places, three reasons that folks who are also Black queer feminist urbanists don't, and how everyone listening can create solutions so that more people like Kristen will choose dense urban places. CNU's Desiree Powell moderated.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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October 4, 2023 |
CNU board member and former NYC Parks Commissioner Mitch Silver used Brooklyn Village in Charlotte as an example showing the harm inflicted on black communities by the planning profession, and made the case for planners to right this wrong. CNU President Mallory Baches moderated.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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September 26, 2023 |
The Charter provides the core principles of New Urbanism and articulates an alternative vision to urban sprawl. After a generation of work, the context of our collective work has changed, as new and evolving obstacles to our vision have emerged. Coinciding with the 30th Anniversary of CNU, the Board of Directors has authorized a process for soliciting, refining, and selecting amendments to the Charter of the New Urbanism. Members of the Charter Amendment Committee described how CNU members will be able to propose and vote on amendments to our foundational document.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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September 19, 2023 |
Dayton Castleman, Director of Creative Placemaking + Artist Lead for Verdant Studio in northwest Arkansas, talked about the power of art to foster genuine community engagement. He was joined by Levitt Foundation CEO Sharon Yazowski who discussed how public spaces can be reinvigorated through free, live music to create equitable, healthy, and thriving communities. Marsha Garcia of CNU was the moderator.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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August 29, 2023 |
Architect, urban designer, and small-scale developer Marques King reviewed the legacies and precedents of American land use and how understanding this history will impact our built environment. CNU President Mallory Baches moderated.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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August 1, 2023 |
This webinar featured experts on how hospital-oriented development works, and how it can benefit cities. Ben Schulman of the Memphis Medical District Collaborative, Erik Aulestia of Torti Gallas + Partners, and Joanna Lombard of the University of Miami, had an in-depth discussion exploring the latest thinking on this topic.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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July 25, 2023 |
The North Central Walking Tour report and Greening Milwaukee public schoolyards projects offer two different and inspired approaches to centering climate and equity in New Urbanism. Carolyn Esswein, School of Architecture & Urban Planning at UWM, and William Neher, Principal at Neher and Associates presented on their work.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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July 11, 2023 |
This was a discussion of Florida's innovative context zones for thoroughfares, with Billy Hattaway of Fehr & Peers and DeWayne Carver of FDOT, who won the John Nolan Award from the CNU Florida chapter this year. Hattaway and Carver explained what Florida found, and other states can learn, from connecting transportation to land use—using classifications that translate directly to form-based codes.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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June 20, 2023 |
Henry Grabar, author of Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World joined Lauren Mayer for a conversation about one of the most quietly influential forces in modern American life—the humble parking spot.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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April 11, 2023 |
A conversation with urban designers/architects involved with Culdesac Tempe and Culdesac Atlanta, two highly watched developments that are eliminating cars in residential areas, which allows for innovative urban design solutions. The program includes Dan Parolek of Opticos Design and Eric Kronberg of Kronberg Architects + Urbanists.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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April 4, 2023 |
CNU leaders and representatives from the Local Host Committee discussed exciting program changes at the upcoming Congress in Charlotte, North Carolina, and what's in store for a visit to the Queen City. CNU 31 runs May 31 - June 3, 2023.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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March 21, 2023 |
A discussion on parking reform trends nationwide, with transportation planner and economist Patrick Siegman, Sightline Institute researcher Catie Gould, and Tony Jordan, co-founder of the Parking Reform Network.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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March 7, 2023 |
Discussion of building urbanism on sites related to houses of worship in cities and towns. Representatives of projects in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Montgomery, Alabama, discussed their plans.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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February 21, 2023 |
Rebekah Kik, assistant city manager in Kalamazoo Michigan, and health, transportation, and planning expert Mark Fenton discuss small cities, and how to make them more walkable and livable today. Marsha Garcia of CNU is the interviewer.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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December 6, 2022 |
Dr. Jamie Chriqui, professor at the University of Illinois Chicago, discussed CDC-funded research that measures zoning reform nationwide, leading to ordinances calling for infrastructure that supports walking and biking. CNU's Marsha Garcia was the interviewer.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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November 15, 2022 |
Brian Falk of the Project for Lean Urbanism joined architect and urban designer Kevin Klinkenberg to discuss a recent toolkit designed to overcome the burdens faced by small builders and investors in walkable neighborhoods.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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November 8, 2022 |
Author Korkut Onaran discussed his new book Urbanism for a Difficult Future: Practical Responses to the Climate Crisis. This much-needed guide is key to launching the next generation of land use planning and urbanism that will enable us to adapt to and survive the consequences of climate change. The interviewer was Fernando Pagés Ruiz.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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September 20, 2022 |
A panel discussed zoning reform tools to enable better places, affordable housing, and complete communities with Wisconsin as a case study. Susan Henderson, Bart Griepentrog, and Gail Sumi discussed Coding for Better Places and a recent report out of Wisconsin.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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September 6, 2022 |
Inner-block development is a distinct urban type that includes buildings on alleys, mews, pedestrian paths, in cottage courts, and more to introduce intimacy and safety to urbanism at all scales. The webinar featured Thomas Dougherty and Aaron Lubeck, who have made a special study of this urban type.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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August 2, 2022 |
Author Nolan Gray discussed his new book, Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It. Urban designer and code expert Mary Madden was the interviewer.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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July 12, 2022 |
What can people do when a planned freeway threatens to tear their community apart? A growing movement is opposing freeway expansions that damage cities, towns and regions. Freeway Fighters from Shreveport, Louisiana, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Southern Indiana discussed strategies and learning from one another.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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July 5, 2022 |
When a badly conceived freeway is dividing your city, how do you bring it back together? Freeway fighters from three corners of America—Albany, NY, Austin, TX, and Seattle, WA—discuss strategies and what cities with campaigns can learn from one another.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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June 14, 2022 |
Matthew Petty, Lindsay Hackett, and Matthew Hoffman looked at theory and best practices of Pre-Approved Building Programs, sometimes called Pattern Zones, and why they are attracting growing interest around the US. Interviewed by Robert Steuteville, the webinar offered case studies, lessons learned, and a road map for taking this idea to scale.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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May 24, 2022 |
Conventional zoning is founded on principles of separation—not only land uses, but also racial and ethnic groups, rich and poor, large and small. Form-based codes are based on principles of integration—land uses, building forms, modes of transportation, building types. Because of these foundational differences, policymakers are looking to form-based zoning to create communities that are healthier, more equitable, diverse, and sustainable, and where prosperity is shared more widely. Form-Based Codes Institute leaders Marta Goldsmith, Karen Parolek, and Marques King talked about the why and how of using form-based codes to shape policy change.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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May 3, 2022 |
Urban designers Baxter Hankin, Garlynn Woodsong, and Matt Lambert discussed the concept of "receiver cities and towns" and how they are important to climate change adaptation and mitigation. Receiver places are likely to gain migrants as climate change problems build. Place Initiative, a small nonprofit with CNU connections, recently published a Receiving Geography Guide and a Community Principles Guide. They have identified more than 600 likely "receiver cities and towns."
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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March 15, 2022 |
Incremental Development Alliance Executive Director Sherry Early and IncDev faculty members discussed how to cultivate new talent in the development ecosystem and inspire more confidence in locals who have hesitated to invest—creating a diverse and inclusive coalition of developers.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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March 8, 2022 |
Ashley Terry, Vice President of Development, Wheeler District; Katie Chapman, Director of Sales, Carlton Landing; and interviewer Rob Steuteville took a peek at two communities that are really worth seeing.Carlton Landing and the Wheeler District are two of the major traditional neighborhood developments underway in the US right now, and both are being built in the Sooner State.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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March 1, 2022 |
Dhiru Thadani of Thadani Architec + Urbanists, Michael Mehaffy of International Making Cities Livable, Luisa Bravo of the Journal of Public Space, and Peter Elmlund, Director of Urban City Research and Future of Places at Ax:son Johnson Foundation, met for a discussion on the New Urban Agenda, the document of the Habitat III conference that was adopted by all 193 countries of the United Nations. Its provisions closely parallel those of the Charter of the New Urbanism, particularly in the emphasis on a well-structured, walkable public realm. In particular, how can we improve the quality of the public realm to make it more lively, active and walkable? And in particular, how must we re-conceive the role of architecture, away from creating object-buildings, toward a more collaborative form of placemaking?
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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February 22, 2022 |
Author’s Forum on Urbanism is a monthly series featuring authors in an hour-long, interactive discussion of recent publications on urbanism. The series, part of CNU’s On the Park Bench webinar program, takes a deep dive into each author’s insights through the lens of New Urbanism. The focus will be on ideas that are embodied in the book, which advance the understanding of precedents and design strategies to repair and make sustainable urbanism. Attendees will have an opportunity to engage with the authors during the session.
Doug Kelbaugh, author of The Urban Fix: Resilient Cities in the War Against Climate Change, Heat Islands, and Overpopulation, discussed why cities are the world's best hope for climate action. The interviewer was CNU co-founder Peter Calthorpe.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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January 25, 2022 |
Author’s Forum on Urbanism is a monthly series featuring authors in an hour-long, interactive discussion of recent publications on urbanism. The series, part of CNU’s On the Park Bench webinar program, takes a deep dive into each author’s insights through the lens of New Urbanism. The focus will be on ideas that are embodied in the book, which advance the understanding of precedents and design strategies to repair and make sustainable urbanism. Attendees will have an opportunity to engage with the authors during the session.
Conrad Kickert, author of Dream City: Creation, Destruction, and Reinvention in Downtown Detroit, looks at historical patterns and how they may impact the future of the Motor City. Dream City traces two centuries of ups and downs in Downtown Detroit, extremely relevant today. Downtown is in the midst of an astonishing rebirth, in contrast to nearby urban fabric—and yet Downtown provides a hopeful path for Detroit in the coming decade. The interviewers on the segment were long-time Detroit urbanists and architects with the design firm Archive DS, Mark Nickita and Dorian Moore.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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January 18, 2022 |
The Albany Riverfront Collaborative has kickstarted a community conversation around reimagining the massively overbuilt I-787, which cuts Albany off from the Hudson River and isolates African American neighborhoods from the rest of the city. Members of the ARC discussed how the collaborative was formed from a diverse coalition of concerned citizens, launching in impressive campaign around persuasive renderings and videos. While still in its relative infancy, Albany offers a model for to cultivate community support by telling a compelling story about what our cities might look like when designed for humans and not just cars.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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December 21, 2021 |
Architects Eric Osth of Urban Design Associates and Brian O'Looney of Torti Gallas + Partners discussed trends in urban housing and how architectural types may respond to these changes. They were interviewed by David Kim of Anderson|Kim Architecture & Urban Design, a CNU board member.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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December 14, 2021 |
Author’s Forum on Urbanism is a monthly series featuring authors in an hour-long, interactive discussion of recent publications on urbanism. The series, part of CNU’s On the Park Bench webinar program, takes a deep dive into each author’s insights through the lens of New Urbanism. The focus will be on ideas that are embodied in the book, which advance the understanding of precedents and design strategies to repair and make sustainable urbanism. Attendees will have an opportunity to engage with the authors during the session.
Italian architect Gabriele Tagliaventi discussed his new book that explains the Healthy City, its development starting from the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-1920 and its various declinations, and responses from the Garden City, passing through the experience of Urban Villages and Garden Pocket Neighborhoods, up to the 15-minute City. Gabriele was interviewed by Dhiru Thadani.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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November 30, 2021 |
Urban planner Jeff Speck (author of Walkable City Rules) joined Oklahoma City's Public Works Director Eric Wenger to discuss how that city's downtown has transformed through an emphasis on public works and the public realm. Oklahoma City will be the site of CNU 30 in late March, so this discussion is a "must see" for those who plan to attend.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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November 16, 2021 |
Author’s Forum on Urbanism is a monthly series featuring authors in an hour-long, interactive discussion of recent publications on urbanism. The series, part of CNU’s On the Park Bench webinar program, takes a deep dive into each author’s insights through the lens of New Urbanism. The focus will be on ideas that are embodied in the book, which advance the understanding of precedents and design strategies to repair and make sustainable urbanism. Attendees will have an opportunity to engage with the authors during the session.
Jason King, book author and principal with the urban design firm Dover Kohl, joined Pamela Stacy King, the book illustrator and project manager at Dover Kohl, to discuss the book that focuses on overcoming objections to climate change mitigation and adaptation in local urban planning. Public Square's Rob Steuteville conducted the interview and moderated the webinar.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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October 26, 2021 |
Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, a CNU co-founder who has long studied climate change and the built environment, discussed adaptation theory and practice related to urbanism. New Urbanism offers design tools that respond to both climate adaptation and mitigation. Adaptation, which often receives less attention than mitigation, acknowledges and responds to localized conditions and geography, and can benefit from New Urbanism’s goals and tools. Rick Cole, CNU executive director, interviewed Plater-Zyberk.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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October 12, 2021 |
Author’s Forum on Urbanism is a monthly series featuring authors in an hour-long, interactive discussion of recent publications on urbanism. The series, part of CNU’s On the Park Bench webinar program, takes a deep dive into each author’s insights through the lens of New Urbanism. The focus will be on ideas that are embodied in the book, which advance the understanding of precedents and design strategies to repair and make sustainable urbanism. Attendees will have an opportunity to engage with the authors during the session.
Authors Jenny Roe and Layla McCay discussed their new book on city design that puts mental health and wellbeing at the forefront. Roe and McCay were interviewed by landscape architect Stephanie Bothwell.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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September 28, 2021 |
Author’s Forum on Urbanism is a monthly series featuring authors in an hour-long, interactive discussion of recent publications on urbanism. The series, part of CNU’s On the Park Bench webinar program, takes a deep dive into each author’s insights through the lens of New Urbanism. The focus will be on ideas that are embodied in the book, which advance the understanding of precedents and design strategies to repair and make sustainable urbanism. Attendees will have an opportunity to engage with the authors during the session.
Strong Towns founder Charles Marohn discusses his new book, Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town. Marohn pulls back the curtain on the North American transportation system and explains why the conventional approach to traffic engineering is making people less safe, bankrupting towns and cities, and destroying the fabric of communities. The interviewer is planner and CNU board member Jocelyn Gibson.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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September 14, 2021 |
Author’s Forum on Urbanism is a monthly series featuring authors in an hour-long, interactive discussion of recent publications on urbanism. The series, part of CNU’s On the Park Bench webinar program, takes a deep dive into each author’s insights through the lens of New Urbanism. The focus will be on ideas that are embodied in the book, which advance the understanding of precedents and design strategies to repair and make sustainable urbanism. Attendees will have an opportunity to engage with the authors during the session.
Community development expert Ilana Preuss offers an important book for our times, explaining how local leaders can revitalize their downtowns or main streets by bringing in and supporting small-scale manufacturing. These businesses offer well-paying jobs and support thriving places with local business ownership. Preuss is interviewed by attorney and urbanist Dan Slone.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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August 10, 2021 Form-Based Codes in America Click Here to Watch the Webinar |
University of Chicago Professor Emily Talen and Placemakers principal and codes researcher Hazel Borys discuss the latest developments and updates on form-based codes in America, with interviewer Luiza Leite of Dover, Kohl & Partners. Talen recently analyzed census tracts nationwide to look at impacts of form-based codes, and Borys has tracked the results of these codes through Placemakers' Codes Score. For those who work with form-based codes in any capacity, this session of On the Park Bench can't be missed!
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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July 13, 2021 Sustaining a City's Culture and Character: Principles and Best Practices Click Here to Watch the Webinar |
Join us to learn about Charles Wolfe’s latest book, Sustaining a City’s Culture and Character which draws upon his experience as an environmental and land use lawyer. The book investigates how cities are successful at fostering and sustaining place identity, and what it takes to retain their specific urban essence and why some places do it better than others. Wolfe systematically illustrates a process to evaluate place-making by advancing a methodology of looking, engaging, assessing, reviewing and negotiating (LEARN). The author’s organizing principle, the LEARN template can be applied to decode any place at any scale. The book instigates an useful critical dialogue for anyone interested in the built environment, community-building, place-making, and habitation.
Wolfe will be joined by his co-author Professor Tigran Haas, School of Architecture and the Built Environment at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden and interviewed by Jennifer Hurley, a Fellow of the Congress for the New Urbanism.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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June 15, 2021 Author's Forum on Urbanism – Unbuilt Intentions: Towards a New Phenomenology of Cities and Architecture Click Here to Watch the Webinar |
Author’s Forum on Urbanism is a monthly series featuring authors in an hour-long, interactive discussion of recent publications on urbanism. The series, part of CNU’s On the Park Bench webinar program, takes a deep dive into each author’s insights through the lens of New Urbanism. The focus will be on ideas that are embodied in the book, which advance the understanding of precedents and design strategies to repair and make sustainable urbanism. Attendees will have an opportunity to engage with the authors during the session.
Author's Forum on Urbanism presents “Unbuilt Intentions: Towards a New Phenomenology of Cities and Architecture” with author Jaime Correa and interviewer Andres Duany.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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May 11, 2021 CNU 29 – Design for (Social) Change Click Here to Watch the Webinar |
Completing our series highlighting the three critical session tracks at CNU29.Design for Change, this episode of On the Park Bench will ask three New Urbanist thought leaders why we must Design for (Social) Change.
CNU 29 sessions in the Social Track will examine how design has the power to change the way our communities function, from investigating who has access to resources to ensuring all voices have the opportunity to shape the future. Through the discussions that this track will prompt at the Congress, speakers and attendees alike will be asking critical questions around what society should look like and how design can contribute to communicating and achieving this vision. A variety of content will be available through sessions in the Social Track, including those led by the three panelists, as well as the moderator on this webinar, who will each talk about the social change they are seeking.
Karen Parolek, Principal at Opticos Design, will talk about the importance of anti-racism and spatial justice within the New Urbanist movement; Marques King, Managing Principal of Fabric[k] Design, will talk about the urgency of understanding housing as a social issue; and Jennifer Hurley, President and CEO at Hurley-Franks & Associates, will talk about the changed landscape of community engagement in a post-Covid society. Moderated by Todd Zimmerman, Director Emeritus of Zimmerman/Volk Associates and also presenting at the Congress, this webinar will be a call to action for New Urbanists in designing for the social change that our Charter describes and offer some insight into why you should register for CNU29.Design for Change.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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May 4, 2021 Author's Forum: 50th Anniversary of Life Between Buildings with Jan Gehl Click Here to Watch the Webinar |
Jan Gehl’s inspirational book Life Between Buildings was first published 50 years ago and remains a must-read for everyone interested in public life. Jane Jacobs remarked that the book was “...thoughtful, beautiful, and enlightening...”. Since its first publication the book has been translated into 30 different languages.
Gehl has authored many books over the past 50 years, however another seminal work written in 2010 was Cities for People. The simple title reminds us that the paradigm shift from walking to driving in the last 60 years, has had a devastating effect on city life and the public realm. Jan is hopeful that the pendulum is swinging back toward people centric cities.
Join us for a discussion with Jan Gehl, to celebrate the 10th and 50th anniversary of these two books. City life and regard for people in cities once again is playing a key role in planning and retrofitting cities and built-up areas. The pedestrian realm for people has been mismanaged for years and finally enlightened municipalities and governments are realizing that caring for people in the city is important for achieving more lively, safe, sustainable and healthy cities.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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April 27, 2021 CNU 29 – Design for (Physical) Change Click Here to Watch the Webinar |
Continuing our series highlighting the three critical session tracks at CNU29.Design for Change, this episode of On the Park Bench will ask three New Urbanist thought leaders why we need to Design for (Physical) Change.
Shaped by both Policy and Society, the theme of physical change is focused on the output: the built environment. The design of places, buildings, and even cities is changing before our eyes. Sessions in this track at CNU29 will focus on the bricks, sticks, asphalt, concrete, landscape, and the design ideas that shape them all, and how they can align with the Charter. A variety of content will be available through sessions in the Physical Track, including those led by the three panelists, as well as the moderator on this webinar, who will each talk about the physical change they are seeking.
Nathan Norris, Founding Principal of the CityBuilding Partnership as well as President of the New Urban Guild, will talk about the changes we need to see in urban and architectural design outcomes; Allison Quinlan, Owner of FlintlockLab, will talk about the change needed to adapt the practice (and the practitioners!) of development; and Camille Cortes, Designer at DPZCoDesign as well as leading member of the PLACE Initiative, will talk about the 2021 PLACE Initiative Climate Summit, a part of the UN-Habitat Urban Thinkers Campus program happening as a shoulder event with the Congress. Moderated by Garlynn Woodsong, Managing Director at Woodsong Associates and also presenting at the Congress, this webinar will frame the opportunities that exist in designing for physical change and offer some insight into why you should register for CNU29.Design for Change.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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April 20, 2021 CNU 29 – Design for (Policy) Change Click Here to Watch the Webinar |
As CNU prepares for what we know will be an exciting, compelling, and thought-provoking Congress, our On the Park Bench series will give a taste of what to expect and why you should join us at CNU29.Design for Change.
At this year’s Congress, content will fall into one of three critical tracks: Social, Policy, and Physical. This episode of On the Park Bench will ask three New Urbanist thought leaders why we need to Design for (Policy) Change.
In this era of change, policy is often the software that drives the planning, designing, and development of our built and natural environments. Congress sessions in this track will investigate the present and future of policies, policy implications, and opportunities to achieve future-focused results that align with the Charter. A variety of sessions will fill the Policy Track at CNU 29, including sessions led by the three panelists on this webinar who will each talk about the change they are seeking.
Harriet Tregoning, Director of the New Urban Mobility Alliance, will talk about the change needed in centering Covid recovery around equity and justice; Heyden Black Walker, Urban Planner with Black + Vernooy, will talk about the change needed in reversing the culture of freeway expansion; and Marc Wouters, Director of Marc Wouters Studios, will talk about the change needed to elevate community land trusts as a crucial tool in addressing the challenges cities are facing. Moderated by CNU Director of Strategic Development, Mallory Baches, this webinar will frame the urgency of designing for policy change and offer some insight into why you should register for CNU29.Design for Change.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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April 13, 2021 Author's Forum: A History of Street Networks Click Here to Watch the Webinar |
Author's Forum on Urbanism presents “A History of Street Networks: From Grids to Sprawl and Beyond" with author Laurence Aurbach.
Laurence Aurbach's book A History of Street Networks illustrates the origins and institutionalization of modern roadway networks, particularly the networks of suburban sprawl. It's a story of designers, engineers, and businesspeople who sought to remake cities’ physical patterns in ways that were radically nontraditional and unproven. Their visions fostered automobile-dependent built environments throughout the United States and worldwide, and spurred the counterresponse of neotraditionalism. The conversation will cover the book's main themes and relate them to new-urbanism principles and current planning trends such as permeable superblocks.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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March 16, 2021 Author's Forum: Main Street Click Here to Watch the Webinar |
Author's Forum on Urbanism presents "Main Street: How a City's Heart Connects Us" with author Mindy Thompson Fullilove and interviewer Kennedy Smith.
Author’s Forum on Urbanism is a monthly series featuring authors in an hour-long, interactive discussion of recent publications on urbanism. The series, part of CNU’s On the Park Bench webinar program, takes a deep dive into each author’s insights through the lens of New Urbanism. The focus will be on one or two ideas that are embodied in the book, which advance the understanding of precedents and design strategies to repair and make sustainable urbanism. Attendees will have an opportunity to engage with the authors during the session.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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March 2, 2021 Author's Forum: Transect Urbanism Click Here to Watch the Webinar |
Andrés Duany – architect, urban planner, and founder of the Congress for the New Urbanism – discusses his new book, "Transect Urbanism." He was interviewed by Charles Bohl, founding direc tor of the graduate program in Real Estate Development and Urbanism (MRED+U) at the University of Miami's School of Architecture.
Author’s Forum on Urbanism is a monthly series featuring authors in an hour-long, interactive discussion of recent publications on urbanism. The series, part of CNU’s On the Park Bench webinar program, takes a deep dive into each author’s insights through the lens of New Urbanism. The focus will be on one or two ideas that are embodied in the book, which advance the understanding of precedents and design strategies to repair and make sustainable urbanism. Attendees will have an opportunity to engage with the authors during the session.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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February 16, 2021 Author's Forum: Increments of Neighborhood Click Here to Watch the Webinar |
Author’s Forum on Urbanism is a monthly series featuring authors in an hour-long, interactive discussion of recent publications on urbanism. The series, part of CNU’s On the Park Bench webinar program, takes a deep dive into each author’s insights through the lens of New Urbanism. The focus will be on one or two ideas that are embodied in the book, which advance the understanding of precedents and design strategies to repair and make sustainable urbanism. Attendees will have an opportunity to engage with the authors during the session.
Author's Forum on Urbanism presents “Increments of Neighborhood: A Compendium of Built Types for Walkable and Vibrant Communities” with author Brian O’Looney and interviewer Todd Zimmerman and Matt Bell.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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January 19, 2021 Pandemic Toolkit Click Here to Watch the Webinar |
What’s likely to linger in the aftermath of the global COVID crisis are the impacts on local and regional governments that provide the services citizens experience most directly in their daily lives. Faced with budget shortfalls, growing to-do lists for routine tasks delayed by the emergency, and general uncertainty about a “new normal,” how might governments address the uncertainty and respond effectively to the challenges? That’s the goal of our Pandemic Toolkit. Join this session with the toolkit’s lead authors, Hazel Borys and Susan Henderson to explore the applications.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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January 12, 2021 Author's Forum: Case Studies in Retrofitting Suburbia Click Here to Watch the Webinar |
Author’s Forum on Urbanism is a monthly series featuring authors in an hour-long, interactive discussion of recent publications on urbanism. The series, part of CNU’s On the Park Bench webinar program, takes a deep dive into each author’s insights through the lens of New Urbanism. The focus will be on one or two ideas that are embodied in the book, which advance the understanding of precedents and design strategies to repair and make sustainable urbanism. Attendees will have an opportunity to engage with the authors during the session.
Author's Forum on Urbanism presents “Case Studies in Retrofitting Suburbia: Urban Design Strategies for Urgent Challenges” with authors June Williamson and Ellen Dunham-Jones, interviewer David Dixon.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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December 16, 2020 Legacy Cities Click Here to Watch the Webinar |
Spearheaded by Dan Baisden, an urban planner from Fort Wayne, Indiana, this webinar explores why Legacy Cities are so critical to America, and help shed some light on the issues and the positives.
Featuring perspectives from the following speakers:
Katy Shackelford (St. Louis)
Lochmueller Group
CNU-Midwest Board Member
Travis Sheridan (St. Louis)
Chief Community Officer - Wexford Science & Technology
Jason Segedy (Akron)
Director of Planning & Development - City of Akron
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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December 8, 2020 Author's Forum: Space & Anti-Space Click Here to Watch the Webinar |
Author’s Forum on Urbanism is a monthly series featuring authors in an hour-long, interactive discussion of recent publications on urbanism. The series, part of CNU’s On the Park Bench webinar program, takes a deep dive into each author’s insights through the lens of New Urbanism. The focus will be on one or two ideas that are embodied in the book, which advance the understanding of precedents and design strategies to repair and make sustainable urbanism. Attendees will have an opportunity to engage with the authors during the session.
Author's Forum on Urbanism presents “Space & Anti-Space” with authors Barbara Littenberg and Steven Peterson and interviewer Phillip Langdon.
The book challenges the conventional idea of what should constitute the physical form of the contemporary city. Observing the absence of connective urban fabrics in the new global cities being made today, it argues that they are merely dense accumulations of buildings that lack the positive formal attributes that are required to establish an extended public realm. Cities cannot be made by individual buildings alone but rather depend on the intertwined combination of architectural and urban forms bound together in networks of public space.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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November 17, 2020 Author's Forum: Architecture & the City Click Here to Watch the Webinar |
Author’s Forum on Urbanism is a monthly series featuring authors in an hour-long, interactive discussion of recent publications on urbanism. The series, part of CNU’s On the Park Bench webinar program, takes a deep dive into each author’s insights through the lens of New Urbanism. The focus will be on one or two ideas that are embodied in the book, which advance the understanding of precedents and design strategies to repair and make sustainable urbanism. Attendees will have an opportunity to engage with the authors during the session.
Author's Forum on Urbanism presents “Architecture & the City” with author Michael Dennis and interviewer Dan Solomon.
Michael Dennis is an architect and founder of Michael Dennis & Associates in Boston, Massachusetts. The firm’s award winning work in architecture, campus planning, and urban design has been published nationally and internationally. Michael is the author of Court & Garden: From the French Hôtel to the City of Modern Architecture (Cambridge: MIT Press, 1986). He is Professor of Architecture Emeritus at MIT, where he was the Director of the post-professional Architecture and Urbanism Program and taught Urban Design and Urban Design Theory. Previously, he taught at Cornell, Kentucky, Princeton, Rice, Harvard, and Columbia universities. He has been the Thomas Jefferson Professor of Architecture at the University of Virginia, the Eero Saarinen Professor of Architecture at Yale University, and the Charles Moore Professor of Architecture at the University of Michigan. In 2011 he was awarded the CNU Athena Medal for contributions to urbanism.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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November 10, 2020 The Post-Pandemic Community Click Here to Watch the Webinar |
The rampant COVID-19 pandemic has left the fields of urban design and planning in a state of wondering what the future of cities will be. After nearly 30 years of a movement that has shaped the built environment in countless places, what have we learned that can sustain New Urbanism through this uncertain future?
Andrés Duany, co-founder of DPZ CoDesign and CNU, discusses which current trends may work in favor of New Urbanist principles and which may be working in competition. Moderated by Lou Marquet, principal of Leyland Alliance, this webinar shows DPZ designs from the current COVID era, and highlight the ways in which they have changed or remained true to “business as usual.”
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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November 4, 2020 Welcoming Cities Click Here to Watch the Webinar |
Jason King, Pamela Stacy, and Rob Piatkowski of Dover, Kohl & Partners host a discussion on planning for in-migration in a welcoming way under unique and ever changing circumstances.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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October 29, 2020 Equity-First: Resilience For Everyone Click Here to Watch the Webinar |
Too often, conversations around creating resilient, sustainable places center the white and wealthy and ignore the people most at risk. In the United States, communities of color are more likely to be exposed to air pollution, live in close proximity to toxic waste, and experience the effects of climate change and extreme weather events. As the impacts of climate change begin to permeate nearly all land use decisions, it is necessary that urban planning practitioners develop and adopt strategies that address the needs and offer protection for people who are most vulnerable and marginalized.
This webinar will explore the concept of equity-first resilience planning and environmental justice through the work and insights of three panelists:
- Barbara Brown Wilson, associate professor of urban and environmental planning at the UVA School of Architecture and author of the book “Resilience for All: Striving for Equity Through Community-Driven Design.”
- Tatewin Means, Executive Director of Thunder Valley CDC and former Attorney General for the Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.
- Anna Clark, Detroit-based journalist and author of "The Poisoned City: Flint’s Water and the American Urban Tragedy."
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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September 1, 2020 Bring Back Main Street with Small-Scale Manufacturing: The Who, the Why, and the How Click Here to Watch the Webinar |
Too many places are stuck in a default model of economic development strategies left over from the 80’s. People and places are being left behind. It doesn’t have to be that way. Join this training to learn about how we can flip the model on economic development and do it in a better way. One that invests in people and places. One that focus on action now and not just long-term plans. This training will show you how to build a strong and resilient economy through concrete steps to include all types of talent in your entrepreneurship efforts, why (and how) to focus on small-scale manufacturing businesses as a catalyst, and how new real estate models for main street (and downtown) can be essential to your success.
Ilana Preuss is the Founder & CEO of Recast City, author of forthcoming book, Recast Your City, and co-author of Discovering Your Maker Economy and Made in PLACE: Small-scale manufacturing & neighborhood revitalization. Through Recast City, she partners with local leaders to bring main street back to life, bring business back to downtown, and build an inclusive and resilient economy. She is passionate about making great places and sees that small-scale product businesses are a missing piece in today’s mixed-use development, commercial property repositioning, and local economic development strategy. Preuss’ passion for great places grew out of her experience working with big and small cities all over the country when she led the technical assistance program at the U.S. EPA Smart Growth Program, and as the Vice President & Chief of Staff at Smart Growth America.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded. By registering for this event you also agree to sign up for the Recast City list.
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August 25, 2020 Equity-Driven Planning Click Here To Watch the Webinar |
As New York City Parks Commissioner, Mitchell Silver oversees the management, planning and operations of nearly 30,000 acres of parkland. He is known for the innovative projects he has worked on, including the Community Parks Equity Initiative, Parks without Borders, Cool Pools and Creative Courts. Prior to returning to his hometown of New York City, he served as the chief planning & development officer and planning director for Raleigh, North Carolina. He was also president of the American Planning Association from 2011 to 2013, the first African American to hold the title. One of the nation’s most celebrated urban thinkers, Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver was elected to Planetizen’s list of 100 Most Influential Urbanists in 2017, and the Urban Times named him one of the top international thought leaders of the built environment in 2012.
We take a deep dive into the variety of ways that equity, inclusivity, and diversity can enhance and enrich the urban realm with Mallory Baches, Director of Strategic Development for CNU, and Mitchell Silver, New York City Parks Commissioner.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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August 12, 2020 Housing Affordability & Access Click Here To Watch the Webinar |
Well before the impacts of COVID-19, cities and towns across the country were faced with an escalating housing crisis. In 2018, the National Low Income Housing Fund identified that full-time minimum wage workers cannot afford a two-bedroom apartment in any county in the country, and research suggests that both renters and homeowners felt cost-burdened long before the pandemic and its economic effects. Yet housing policy, local land use regulations, NIMBY (“Not In My Back Yard”) opposition and market forces converged with a pandemic to exacerbate already untenable housing costs for far too many. While the solutions to these problems are not simple, their importance strikes at the heart of the work to create more equitable, inclusive, and just communities.
If housing is a human right, and if diverse cities demand diverse housing options, then our methods for providing housing must adapt. During this webinar, Mallory Baches, Director of Strategic Development for CNU, will moderate a discussion between a panel of speakers from across the country representing a breadth of experiences and expertise in addressing housing affordability, access, and the both personal and collective economic impacts of housing. Together, they’ll explore the housing issues that cities are contending with, including the growing eviction rate across the country, state and local housing regulatory reform, innovations in housing provision across diverse needs and demographics, and more.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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August 4, 2020 Decoding DOT: Navigating Transportation Click Here To Watch the Webinar |
Incorporating transportation and good design is essential for successful new urbanist projects. However, the path to implementation isn’t always clear – especially when navigating DOTs and career transportation officials. From level of service to traffic modeling, it can take an insider’s knowledge of engineering to get the job done when building walkable places.
Join us Tuesday, August 4th for the first webinar since our summer hiatus. A panel of New Urbanist engineers, including Norm Marshall (Smart Mobility Inc.), Norman Garrick (Civil Engineer, U Conn), Gary Toth (Project for Public Spaces), and Lucy Gibson (Toole Design), will share their perspective on building walkable places, as well as their experience working with DOTs to unravel some of the more enigmatic practices.
This webinar is available for 1 CNU-A continuing education credit if viewed live or recorded.
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May 28, 2020 The Public Realm: International Edition Click Here To Watch The Webinar |
The impact that COVID-19 has had on cities around the world has not been uniform. Neither has the varying responses to the global pandemic. While some cities are transforming their streets into open-aired restaurants or closing them to cars in an effort to make it easier for pedestrians to physically distance, others are shutting down public space entirely. And these unique responses impact the experience of their people – depending on their community support, the design of their neighborhood, their access to housing and jobs, as well as many other factors.
But one thing that remains true across the board is that cities aren’t going anywhere, and public spaces will have to be adapted to meet the needs of a new normal.
We hope that you’ll join us Thursday, May 28th for the ninth and final webinar before CNU 28.A Virtual Gathering. Please note the day change; this webinar will be held on Thursday at noon EST instead of our regular Tuesday.
Mike Lydon, Founder and Principal at Street Plans Collaborative, will moderate a discussion between a panel of international speakers representing a breadth of experiences from the pandemic. Together, they’ll explore topics like open streets and the repurposing of street space, the impacts on various communities through an equity lens, the psychological and physical impacts on residents, and how our collective trust in returning to the public realm will shift as we emerge into a new normal. Our speakers include:
- Marcela Guerrero Casas - Founder and former Managing Director of Open Streets Capetown from Bogotá, Colombia
- Maria Sitzoglou - European Commission Urban Expert for OASIS Schoolyards Project and Advisor for the 100 Resilient Cities program from Thessaloniki, Greece
- Robin Mazumder - Neuroscientist from University of Waterloo, Canada
- Charles Brown - Founder of Equitable Cities, Senior Researcher with the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center (VTC), and Adjunct Professor at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers from New Brunswick, NJ
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May 19, 2020 Adapting to the Crisis: The Public and Private Response Click Here To Watch The Webinar |
In the midst of what some are referring to as the Great Pause, it’s clear not all communities are facing equal hardship. Some are reeling from grave human and economic losses, while others are also dealing with mandated closures that delay much needed work. Existing challenges, such as housing affordability or economic resiliency, may prove to be exacerbated by the multi-faceted punch of the COVID-19 crisis. The need for work in the placemaking fields is greater now than perhaps ever – but the global pandemic may have shone new light on the what, when, how, and even why of that work.
Megan O’Hara, Eric Wobser, Marina Khoury, and Matthew Petty discuss how their city-building work has evolved, and how they are adapting their practices in response to the sudden change from “business as usual.”
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May 12, 2020 Subscribing to the Future: Planning for the Declining Ownership Society Click Here To Watch The Webinar |
One likely outcome of COVID-19 is a post-pandemic acceleration of existing trends—the rapid movement from the impossible to the inevitable in a variety of fields. One trend that seems poised to accelerate is the decline of ownership—not just of big ticket items like housing and vehicles, but of everything down to the clothes on our backs. A shift to rental and subscription models will alter the economy significantly, including in the public realm and the built environment. U.S. tax policy continues to favor home ownership, but shifting attitudes toward ownership will require new settlement patterns and new policies to support them. What will be the impact on housing, policy, neighborhood and urban design?
Join us Tuesday, May 12th for the seventh webinar in our series, On the Park Bench. We’ll be joined by Todd Zimmerman, Director Emeritus of Zimmerman/Volk Associates; Tara Gupta, founder of Map-Collective.com and Anamakos; Jerry Reimer of Urban Village Development; and Louis Nequette, Principal and Founder of Nequette Architecture & Design.
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May 5, 2020 National Town Builders Association + On The Park Bench: The Pandemic's Impact on Real Estate Development Click Here To Watch The Webinar |
National Town Builders Association + On the Park Bench: The Pandemic’s Impact on Real Estate Development Social distancing requirements across the country have changed the way people interact with the physical space that surrounds them – from how they navigate their neighborhoods, shop for necessities, search for entertainment, and what they expect from local businesses. In less than two months, there has been a rapid shift in demand for different types of places, presenting new challenges for real estate developers of any scale. In addition to changing consumer demands, some are struggling to obtain permits for their projects, experiencing construction delays or moratoriums, and staring down potential diminishing returns on investments.
While the long-term effects on real estate development might be difficult to anticipate, the immediate effects are clear: developers will need to adapt in order to weather this storm.
Join us on Tuesday, May 5th for the sixth webinar in our series, On the Park Bench. We’ll be joined by a group of developers from the National Town Builders Association, including: Monica Johnson, NTBA Director, New Urban Connections; Rob Parker, NTBA Board Member, Pinewood Forest; Aaron Lubeck, NTBA Board Member, TND Partners, LLC; and Grant Humphreys, NTBA Board President, Carlton Landing.
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April 28, 2020 The Local Government Response Click Here To Watch The Webinar |
As the current health, economic, and social crises have coincided, local governments are on the front lines of confronting the impact of COVID-19. Forced to adapt in real-time to the changing needs of their communities and the expanding restrictions that social distancing requires, our cities are playing a dynamic role in the collective response to the virus. Yet they face uncertain futures, with revenue shortfalls arriving just as the expansion of services is most needed. What are the design and delivery challenges that our cities must contend with today as well as in the coming years, and how will local governments adapt to those challenges in innovative and responsive ways?
Join Kerry Hayes, Dan Baisden, Julie Mayfield, Jacob Lindsey, and Monica Carney Holmes as we discuss what their respective cities are facing in the wake of these crises.
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April 21, 2020 Lessons from the (Last) Recession Click Here To Watch The Webinar |
One of the impacts of the current global health crisis has been a massive economic slowdown across sectors, a precursor to a downturn not seen since the Great Depression. In an ever changing landscape, it remains unclear how these economic changes will impact the fields of urban design, architecture, and placemaking. This can be triggering as so many in our industry experienced a similarly uncertain future during the Great Recession of 2008. However, there are lessons that we learned from the last recession that could be applied now, experiences and stories that can help CNU members and their firms navigate these troubling times.
In the fourth webinar in our series, On the Park Bench. Frank Starkey, Mary Madden, Joe Minicozzi, and Kevin Klinkenberg discuss what they learned during the last recession.
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April 14, 2020 When the Public Realm Is All You Have: COVID-19 and Homelessness Click Here To Watch The Webinar |
In communities throughout the U.S., public spaces, including parks, plazas, and even sidewalks, have become a “home” for thousands of people. This phenomenon has become commonplace in nearly all major urban areas and has led to a variety of responses from elected officials, planners, and even private citizens; efforts that are at times both compassionate and punitive. In the face of a public health crisis, these efforts become especially important.
This webinar will highlight strategies that can address the complex challenges presented by the use of public spaces in a manner never anticipated by city planners, architects, and designers - to “house” those in need. A humane, far-sighted response begins with design and continues with ongoing engagement as well as support services that people truly need and embrace. Presenters will also address what homelessness can mean in the age of social distancing and “shelter in place” orders.
Speakers include Steve Coe, Principal of Steve Coe Consulting; Elena Madison, VP of the Project for Public Spaces; Carol Caraballo, VP of Behavioral Health Services at Thriving Mind South Florida; and Julia Orlando, Director of Health & Human Services Center at the Housing Authority of Bergen County, New Jersey.
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April 7, 2020 Virtual Public Engagement: Developing a More Inclusive Approach to Charrettes Click Here To Watch The Webinar |
Effective public engagement is the cornerstone of the traditional charrette process. Though it is incredibly important to successful planning, it also requires a significant time commitment from participants. In recent years, many firms have sought ways to increase engagement from underrepresented groups and bring in new voices. Virtual public engagement has been gaining traction in a number of different venues, including new tools and techniques that may be a requirement for urban design and planning firms wanting to continue their work in the age of social distancing. By transcending the need to gather in person, virtual charrettes offer an innovative opportunity to bridge the gap among stakeholders and hear from a more diverse audience.
Victor Dover, Principal-in-Charge at Dover, Kohl, & Partners, discussed the virtual strategy he has used to ensure broader and more inclusive engagement. Kim DeLaney, Director of Strategic Development & Policy at Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, spoke about a recent virtual charrette the council hosted.
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March 31, 2020 New Urbanism for a New World: Perspectives from Laurie Volk, Seth Harry, Mike Lydon, and Ashleigh Walton Click Here To Watch The Webinar |
Laurie Volk, Seth Harry, Mike Lydon, and Ashleigh Walton joined CNU CEO Lynn Richards to address the enduring power of urbanism to create community. New Urbanism has always been about creating people centered places that are socially just, economically robust, and environmentally resilient. With social distancing at the forefront of attempts to contain the spread of COVID-19, many are wondering if dense, urban living will come under scrutiny and result in a pattern of city-dwellers fleeing for suburban havens once again. Yet others have noted the importance of walkable urbanism in easing the transition to social distancing and traditional neighborhoods supporting a feeling of connectedness in the face of unprecedented solitude. Three generations of New Urbanist leaders joined us to discuss the continued and essential role of New Urbanism in a new world paradigm.