CNU October 2007 e-Update

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1. Submit Your Best Work for CNU's 2008 Charter Awards

Urbanism's premier award recognizes design and development achievements that fufill the principles of the CNU Charter

Oct. 18, 2007 -- Now in its eighth year, CNU’s Charter Awards program has honored more than 125 projects, a body of work chosen by a distinguished group of jurors for best exemplifying and advancing the Charter of the New Urbanism.

CNU continues that tradition in 2008, inviting submissions of work at all scales of the Charter for consideration.

Read more...

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2. London Summit Offers Cutting-Edge Ideas on Transportation

There is Still Time to Get on Board and Join Us in London

Oct. 5, 2007 -- CNU invites you to London for the CNU Transportation Summit taking place November 12-14. As the site of CNU’s first overseas summit, London serves as one of the world’s foremost leaders in transportation initiatives and design. Come hear renowned speakers Hans Monderman and Ben Hamilton-Baillie address the concept of shared space. The strategy restores balance to the relationship between drivers and other users of the public space of the roadway not through typical methods such as signs, signals, and lane markings, but through their absence. Where typical road engineering separates autos, pedestrians and other users -- giving drivers a mechanistic sense of owning the road and a reluctance to yield it to others -- the reforms of Monderman and Hamilton-Baillie create more ambiguous shared spaces where more refined systems of user moderation and socialization take over. It has transformed urban space in the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, and England. On the loss of right-of-way, Hans Monderman proclaims that "people have to find their own way, negotiate for themselves, use their own brains."

Read more...

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3. CNU Welcomes its Fifth Chapter, North Texas

This month CNU was excited to welcome its fifth chapter, CNU North Texas. The chapter will promote New Urbanism and address local issues in the Dallas/Forth Worth metropolitan region. Thanks to the support of the North Central Texas Council of Governments and the hours of volunteer work put in by CNU member volunteers, the chapter has gotten off to a strong start, having hosted several events earlier this year, including a SmartCode Workshop.

CNU members may join the North Texas Chapter online at www.cnu.org/join. For more information, contact Lyndsay Krodel at northcentraltexas@cnu.org.

Learn more about other CNU Chapters at www.cnu.org/chapters.

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4. Buffalo City Council Unanimous in Opposing the Expansion of Waterfront Highway; Local Groups Form Buffalo Waterfront Coalition

CNU's effort to enable urbanism on Buffalo's downtown waterfront continues to build momentum. Last week, the Buffalo Common Council asked the State to delay the awarding of construction contracts that would maintain the embanked Route 5 freeway and expand a major frontage road on the Outer Harbor. Councilmembers state that the current NYSDOT plan does not promote long-term economic development because it maintains the main barrier to the waterfront -- the elevated freeway. Instead, they call for a single, at-grade boulevard that would be complemented with a system of streets and blocks to set the stage for the building of valuable urban neighborhoods. Read more about the Council's decision in the Buffalo News article, "Buffalo council unanimous in opposing high-speed Southtowns Connector."

In related news this week, a coalition of local organizations has formed under the name Buffalo Waterfront Coalition to oppose NYSDOT's plan. Read more about it at Buffalo Rising, "Will The Ghost of Robert Moses Continue To Haunt Us?"

Read more about CNU's work in Buffalo related to our Highways to Boulevards Initiative.

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5. New Reports Drive Home Key Role of New Urbanist Strategies in Averting Climate Crisis

A new book published by the Urban Land Institute reviews the mounting pile of research showing that the principles of New Urbanism and Smart Growth can reduce vehicle miles travelled, significantly cutting greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. Compact mixed-use development that minimizes auto-dependency is a critical piece of the green equation, considering that any increase in fuel efficiency is expected to be cancelled out by an increase in driving. Residents of compact urban neighborhoods with alternative transportation options drive on average a third fewer miles than their auto-dependent suburban peers. The publication also documents how the growing demand for compact development creates an opportunity for New Urbanism and recommends a number of policy changes to capitalize on the evironmental benefits of urban growth patterns.

For more information, visit http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/gcindex.html.

And in a groundbreaking report, Environmental Building News applies a measure more commonly used in freight transport to determine the transportation energy intensity of buildings. The report's newsworthy finding is that for the average office building, the energy associated with transportation to and from the building is 30% more than the energy use of the building itself. As a result, the EBN report calls for a paradigm shift, urging greens and developers to pay far more attention to the energy that will be consumed in transporting people and goods to their buildings. The article cites the influence of New Urbanism in shaping the built environment in ways that significantly improves transortation efficiency.

Read more at http://cnu.org/node/1590.

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6. Call for New Urbanist Academic Papers: Deadline November 30

CNU is accepting academic paper submissions for presentation at CNU XVI in
Austin, Texas, to be held April 3-6, 2008. Accepted papers and abstracts will also be published on the CNU website and in a special issue of the Journal of Urbanism. Submissions are welcome on a range of issues and disciplines related to New Urbanism. Selection will be based on the paper's contribution to critical discussion and practice of New Urbanism and for synergies within sessions. All papers should be submitted by Friday, November 30, 2007. Visit http://cnu.org/node/130 for complete submission details.

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7. CNU Seeks Best Practice Examples of Transportation Networks

To prepare for next year's 2008 Charlotte Transportation Summit, CNU is seeking best practice examples of transportation networks. We are looking for policies that support the network and the best examples of planned approaches or built projects that reflect a sophisticated understanding of how multi-modal networks function. We are also looking for examples of how to document the performance of these networks. Some of these ideas will be presented at CNU XVI in Austin and will guide our work in preparation for the November 2008 summit in Charlotte. Submit an initial 200-word description and any photos or examples electronically to Heather Smith by November 16, 2007.

For more on the 2008 Transportation Summit and the upcoming 2007 Summit in
London, please visit http://cnu.org/transportationsummits.

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8. What's New @ CNU.org

Here's a sample of what's new at CNU.org:

In the News -- These oases need to connect seamlessly to the suburban fabric, says RUSS SIKES of Plano @ http://cnu.org/node/1603
"How will we know when an urban island has evolved into a true town center? When a walk to it is as normal and pleasant as a walk in it."

CNU Salons -- Austin, Texas Emerges as America's Greenest Big City @ http://cnu.org/node/1577
In a recent Chicago Tribune front page article, writer Howard Witt details the Texas capital's rigourous efforts to curb climate change and set an example for cities around the world.

Presentation -- Ellen Dunham-Jones Talks Retrofitting Suburbia at Illinois Chapter Conference @ http://cnu.org/node/1586
Combining academic analysis with impressive on-the-pavement observations from the real estate market, Dunham-Jones offered refreshing insights on the state of “greyfield development,” including the current thirst of developers in built-out suburbs to improve return on their “underperforming asphalt.”

If you haven't experienced the new CNU.org yet, it's time for you to see what you're missing. We've rebuilt CNU.org to create a more enriching experience for CNU members. Please take a moment to log into the new site and learn about the new features it has to offer. All usernames have been reset with the launch of the new site, so please read our Login Instructions to get started.

Visit http://cnu.org/features to learn more about the website.

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9. Save the Date -- Third Australian New Urbanism Congress: Brisbane, February 6-9, 2008

The Australian Council for New Urbanism (ACNU) is holding its third Congress in sub-tropical Brisbane, February 6-9, 2008. Keynote speakers will include Victor Dover and Shelley Poticha from the US and Paul Murrain from the UK, in addition to leading Australian new urbanist practitioners, including Evan Jones, Chip Kaufman, Wendy Morris, Peter Richards, and Clive Alcock. The Congress will showcase the current status of New Urbanism in Australia, and will debate some key challenges facing New Urbanism down under, including sustainable regional structuring, university integration and transit-planning, achieving viable neighborhood centers, and delivering mixed-use main-street-based town centers.

The program includes tours to projects in South East Queensland, covering both urban regeneration and new communities. The Congress will be held at the Kelvin Grove Urban Village, a new integrated university village, located near one of Brisbane's new showcase busways. This location provides a great opportunity for delegates to experience first-hand this innovative, Government-facilitated mixed use centre combining education, residential, retail, health, and business into a vibrant new precinct.

The three-day congress will be preceded by a three-day Master Class Design Workshop, focused on a challenging but strategic site in western Brisbane, led by Australian and overseas design experts; and by a Charrette Training Course, run by Bill Lennertz from NCI, in conjunction with Australian charrette experts.

Further information can be obtained from www.acnu.org. Information on Kelvin Grove Urban Village can be found at www.kguv.com.au.

ACNU especially welcomes attendees from beyond Australia, and suggests that a visit to Brisbane be combined with some time in Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth, armed with a copy of the book: Australian New Urbanism: A Guide to Projects, 2nd Ed 2006. (Details available at www.acnu.org.)

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10. Upcoming SmartCode Workshop: Miami, Fla., Nov. 8-10

The SmartCode Workshop is coming to Miami on November 8-10, 2007. This event is an opportunity to join planners, architects, developers, elected officials, professors, and students to learn how to implement practical solutions for quality livability. SmartCode v9.0 will be studied with respect to principles, calibration, implementation, administration, and utilization. Miami 21 will be used as a case study, along with other recent calibrations in the US and Europe.

For more information on the SmartCode workshops, visit: http://www.smartcodecomplete.com.

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11. Movement for Israeli Urbanism K-8 Intl. Charrette, Dec. 2-6

Join the Movement for Israeli Urbanism (MIU) in a fascinating journey that will lead to rebuilding the northern border town into a more human and prosperous place.

The second Lebanon war occurred one year ago and found Kiryat Shmona (K-8) -- the northern town in Israel -- once again in the center of an ongoing battle. This situation is very familiar to the residents -- moving to the bomb shelters for few days and nights and departing the city a few days later in search of security.

MIU volunteered to assist the town, and during a tour with the town engineer just after the war they posed the following questions:
-- What will bring back the local families this time and the next time?
-- What will make citizens want to continue living in a distant and unpredictable place?

MIU believes that local prosperity and high quality of urban life are two of the foremost factors that generate a sense of local pride and belonging, and contribute to forming a sustainable continuity and motivation to return. MIU would like to offer a course of development and rehabilitation, which will build local pride and trust by a public participation planning process involving the residents and stakeholders in Kiryat Shmona -- a charrette.

It will be the first full 5-day charrette in Israel. MIU needs your experience with the success of the charrette to give the Israeli participants (professionals and public) confidence that the process works. Take part in changing urban planning in Israel. Kiryat Shmona needs New Urbanism.

For more information, visit http://www.miu.org.il/MIU_v4/docs_activities/MIU_Projects/K8_Int_Charrette.html.

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12. Save the Date -- New Partners for Smart Growth, Feb. 7-9, 2008 in Washington, DC

Conference registration is now open for the 7th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth: Building Safe, Healthy and Livable Communities Conference, February 7-9, 2008 in Washington, DC.

For the 2008 edition of the New Partners Conference, smart growth will come to the nation’s capital. The ideal spot for this year’s event, participants will find in Washington, DC, a unique blend of cultural vibrancy, economic growth and historic landmarks. For professionals from all walks of life, the region also reveals the future, a pace-setting laboratory of innovative smart-growth practices -- from successful transit solutions to creative housing strategies to clean air and water benchmarks.

The conference will draw a multidisciplinary audience committed to building safer, healthier, and more livable communities everywhere. For more information, visit http://www.newpartners.org.

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13. 2008 Palladio Awards Call for Submissions

Deadline: November 15, 2007

Submissions are now being accepted for the 2008 Palladio Awards. The seventh-annual competition will recognize outstanding work in traditional design for commercial, institutional, public, and residential projects.

The Palladio Awards program is co-produced by Traditional Building and Period Homes magazines and is named in honor of Andrea Palladio, the Renaissance architect who created modern architecture for his time while drawing on past models for inspiration.

For more information, go to www.palladioawards.com.

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14. New Urbanists at Greenbuild 2007, Nov. 7-9 in Chicago

If designing, building, living, and working in green buildings -- and green neighborhoods -- is important to you, then come join 18,000 other people who agree that green building is a good idea and good for business at the U.S. Green Building Council's Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, Nov. 7-9, 2007. Greenbuild 2007 will take place in Chicago at the new McCormick Place West Building.

Greenbuild 2007 will explore "Accelerating Green Communities" with educational sessions, exciting speakers, special events and tours, and the largest Greenbuild exhibit hall ever.

Make sure to check out these sessions that highlight the new urbanist perspective:

Getting Around the Climate Problem: Streets, Transit, Parking, and Car Dependence
Wed., 4 PM - 5:30 PM

Green Communities: Approaches to Sustainability
Thur., 4 PM - 5:30 PM

Attain LEED-ND Without Jail Time: Making Green Neighborhoods Legal
Fri., 9 AM - 10:30 AM

For more information, visit http://www.greenbuildexpo.org.

VOLUNTEER with CNU at Greenbuild Expo

Help CNU spread the word about how New Urbanism "accelerates green communities" at Greenbuild Expo! If you'll be attending Greenbuild or live in the Chicago area, CNU could use your help at the Expo. With this year's focus on green communities, we'll have a great opportunity to reach potential New Urbanists. Volunteers will receive free entrance to the Expo. To volunteer, email pchung@cnu.org with your contact information and availability for at least one of these time slots:

Tuesday, Nov. 6, 5:30 PM - 8 PM
Wednesday, Nov. 7, 11 AM - 2 PM and 3 PM - 4 PM
Thursday, Nov. 8, 2 PM - 4 PM

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15. Rail~Volution in Miami Beach, Oct. 31 - Nov. 3

This year Rail~Volution stands at a crossroads -- on the precipice of tremendous change, both locally and globally -- as communities all over the world grapple with important issues that affect them.

South Florida -- the site of Rail~Volution 2007 -- serves as a living laboratory for these critical discussions. The region has a diverse population, an increasingly global economy, a series of strong transit systems, a red-hot tourism industry and leaders who seek thoughtful solutions.

For more information, visit http://railvolution.com.

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16. Upcoming Courses from the Form-Based Codes Institute

Visit the Form-Based Codes Institute website for more information and a full list of events.

Form-Based Codes 201: Design Intensive Workshop
October 31-November 1, 2007
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

Form-based coding is an effective way to promote economic development while preserving a community's architectural character. In Form Based Codes 201 (FBC 201), you can learn how to make it work in your community. The nation's leading experts will show you how to build form-based codes into your zoning and design regulations.

FBC 201 is an intensive two-day course taught by the Form Based Codes Institute in partnership with Rutgers University's Center for Government Services and Professional Development Institute at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. This is the second part of a three course series. Participants who complete all three courses receive a certificate from the Form Based Codes Institute.

Form-Based Codes 101: An Introductory Course
November 15-17, 2007
Atlanta, GA

A prerequisite for FBC 201-Design Considerations and FBC 301-Completing, Adopting and Administering the Code, this course will cover the principles and components of Form-Based Codes; a brief history of zoning and planning practice; the legal basis for Form-Based Coding; a comparison of the tools available to shape community form and character provided by Euclidean zoning versus Form-Based Codes; a field exercise to increase participant understanding of the components of good urbanism and how they can be incorporated into a Form-Based Code; a review of the kinds of FBCs, FBC case studies, and an introduction to how a FBC is prepared.

Form-Based Codes 301: Completing, Adopting and Administering the Code
Save the Date: January 25-26, 2008
Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ

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17. Upcoming Seminars and Workshops from the Seaside Institute

Visit the Seaside Institute website for more information and a full list of events. Current CNU members receive a 10% discount on workshop registrations with their membership card.

Atlanta on the Cutting Edge: Models for Growth and Renewal
November 7-10, 2007
Atlanta, GA

Building and Rebuilding Traditional Neighborhoods
December 13-14, 2007
New Orleans, LA

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18. Save the Date: 2008 Training Opportunities from the National Charrette Institute

Visit the National Charrette Institute (NCI) website for details on trainings. Current CNU members receive a 10% discount on NCI registration fees for public trainings held in Portland.

Portland, OR · March 10-14, 2008
NCI Charrette Planner® certificate trainings
NCI Complete Charrette Manager™ certificate trainings

Portland, OR · May 19-21, 2008
NCI Public Meeting Facilitator™ certificate trainings

Portland, OR · July 14-18, 2008
NCI Charrette Planner® certificate trainings
NCI Complete Charrette Manager™ certificate trainings

Portland, OR · September 10-12, 2008
NCI Public Meeting Facilitator™ certificate trainings

Portland, OR · October 13-17, 2008
NCI Charrette Planner® certificate trainings
NCI Complete Charrette Manager™ certificate trainings

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Congress for the New Urbanism
140 S. Dearborn St., Ste. 310
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