Relevance of the Region

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In today’s world of inconvenient truths, supporting sustainable neighborhoods with sound regional strategies has never been more relevant. How can smart regional planning contribute to a greener future? CNU XVI: New Urbanism and the Booming Metropolis, April 3-6 in Austin, Texas, is full of opportunities to learn the answers.

Join us at the Congress to discover how New Urbanism and smart planning fit into the futures of growing regions. Kick off your regional experience by learning about Envision Central Texas -- the regional plan for the five-county region encompassing the larger Austin metropolitan area that was crafted by Fregonese Calthorpe Associates -- at a free session from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday, April 3. With Central Texas expected to grow by 1 million people in the next 20 to 30 years, Envision Central Texas promotes a common vision for the region through enhancing Central Texas’s natural resources, economic vitality, social equity and overall quality of living.

Peter Calthorpe will address the rationale for regional planning, their progress in Austin, and how to make vision and planning a realized reality. As two of the nation’s most influential planners, this session is not to be missed!

Peter Calthorpe’s Plenary Address
Join us from 8:15 to 9:30 a.m. Saturday, April 5, and see Lee Walker, chairman of Austin’s Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, introduce Peter Calthorpe, one of the nation's foremost regional planners, who will share his ideas about the role of transit and transit-oriented development in creating a green future for Austin. Calthorpe has a long career with experience in urban design, planning, and architecture, and sees transit as a pivotal element in regional planning.

Come hear how transit-oriented design, including the pending launch of Austin’s first commuter rail line -- the 32-mile Capital MetroRail Red Line between downtown and Leander -- is fundamental to the region’s effort to create sustainable growth by clustering higher density neighborhoods around train stations.

Calthorpe’s address is really the "last stop" for TOD discussions at CNU XVI. Transit and transit-oriented development are also the subjects of an Urban Lab on Wednesday, April 2, a New Urbanism 202 section on Thursday, April 3, and several concurrent sessions on Friday and Saturday, April 4-5.

Learning From the Booming Region
Grappling with the mixed blessing of hot economies and wildfire growth, booming regions must deal with transportation, housing, and environmental planning. A dynamic panel led by James Murley and Peter Calthorpe will explore strategies for handling those elements, from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Friday, April 4. This is an exciting opportunity to explore the case study of a region loaded with its own unique culture, history, housing, and environmental issues.

Louisiana Speaks
Louisiana Speaks looks forward and articulates the vision and strategies to recoup and rebuild South Louisiana. The plan is built upon the voices of 27,000 Louisianans wanting to preserve and enhance their distinctive culture and quality of life, and is facilitated by some of the top planners in the nation. Join Calthorpe, Rachel DiResto and Raymond Gindroz for "Louisiana: The New Planning Frontier," from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, April 5.