CNU e-Update
February 2009

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1. Urbanism in the Stimulus & Beyond
2. HUD Secretary Donovan on track to be ally of urbanism
3. CNU 17 Registration Opens March 4 -- Why You Should Come
4. CNU Michigan Becomes Tenth CNU Chapter
5. New England Chapter Conference April 2-3, 2009
6. North Texas Chapter Events March 30-31, 2009
7. What's New @ CNU.org
8. Call for Entries: 2009 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement
9. USGBC Colorado Chapter: Colorado Sustainability ’09, May 6-7
10. Your Help Needed: Survey for Urban Infill Research Study
11. SmartCode Workshop, Decatur, Georgia, April 16-18
12. Form-Based Codes Institute: 2009 Driehaus Form-Based Codes Awards and Upcoming Trainings
13. National Charrette Institute: Upcoming Trainings

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1. Urbanism in the Stimulus & Beyond

CNU Looks Ahead to Build on the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act

The recently signed Economic Recovery Act has its strategic side — high-speed rail, smart grid technology — and its not-so-strategic side — too many highway expansion projects. On the whole, in addition to a number of provision that should please urbanists, the stimulus act creates near-term opportunities to help craft administrative rules that will guide the spending of stimulus dollars. CNU and our allies can also apply lessons from the stimulus to the upcoming Transportation Reauthorization bill as well as future stimulus legislation.

Read full story...

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2. HUD Secretary Donovan on track to be ally of urbanism

Revitalized HUD looks to be active force on housing crisis, location efficiency

Before hitting the TV circuit to help roll out the Administration's mortgage repair plan, Shaun Donovan set out an impressive agenda for a revitalized Department of Housing and Urban Development at his speech last week to the NYU Furman Center Housing Policy Conference.

Impressive, because while he acknowledged that HUD’s reputation is largely tied to the image of failed public housing, Donovan explained that the agency now has a pivotal role to play in resolving the economic crisis, while also provide federal level leadership on sustainable urban development. Donovan’s stance on urban sustainability gives staying power to President Obama’s assertion that “the days when we were just building sprawl forever, those days are over.”

Read full story...

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3. CNU 17 Registration Opens March 4 -- Why You Should Come

The annual Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) is the nation’s leading forum dedicated to advancing urbanism and promoting alternatives to sprawl. CNU 17 this year takes place June 10-14 in Denver.

The essential components of New Urbanism are now strategies you simply can't afford to ignore. Learn proven New Urbanist solutions to a number of relevant issues:

• How to survive the housing meltdown
• How to adapt to demographic changes
• How to deliver major energy savings and slow carbon emissions
• What are the growth opportunities under a new administration
• How to be ready to meet demand for a projected 50-million-unit increase in new residences by 2030

Connect and collaborate with innovators— including green designers, architects, builders, developers, city planning officials, transportation designer, and community leaders— committed to adapting and incorporating principles of New Urbanism in our cities and towns, as well as abroad.

Experience excellent traditional urbanism firsthand though local tours of successful neighborhoods in Denver. See how projects are adapting to new challenges, and how getting the details right is more important than ever.

Learn about the latest applications of New Urbanism – from LEED for Neighborhood Development to retrofitting suburbs to infill successes.

Contribute your own ideas and experience to take New Urbanism to the next level.

Learn about new products and the latest innovations at CNU exhibits.

New Urbanism is an interdisciplinary movement. We welcome developers, architects, landscape architects, town planners, urban designers, engineers, environmental consultants, transit/transportation planners, bicycle and pedestrian advocates, housing specialists, real estate brokers, regulators, real estate financiers and government officials. Students, community activists and interested members of the public are also encouraged to attend.

Join the conversation and learn how to make the most of urbanism's edge in today’s marketplace by putting CNU's principles of New Urbanism to work for you. Visit www.cnu17.org for details. Registration will open March 4.

You can also connect with CNU 17 elsewhere on the web and begin networking with other attendees before you arrive! Plug in at these sites and invite your colleagues and friends to join you at the Congress.

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4. CNU Michigan Becomes Tenth CNU Chapter

CNU is pleased to announce the continued rapid growth of its Chapter program with its tenth local chapter, CNU Michigan. The chapter will provide a local organization for new urbanists in the State of Michigan for education, outreach, and to organize around local issues.

All CNU members in Michigan are now automatically members of the Michigan Chapter.

For more information on Michigan and other chapter groups, visit www.cnu.org/chapters.

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5. New England Chapter Conference April 2-3, 2009

2030 Sustainable Urbanism Summit: Addressing Climate Change in New England
April 2-3, 2009
Portsmouth, N.H.

Building on CNU National’s "Climate @ CNU" Initiative, local and national experts, together with all summit attendees, will generate ideas for helping New England communities create low-carbon infill development and compact neighborhoods, sharing tools such as form-based codes and smart street design alternatives to help break down the barriers that encourage auto-dependent sprawl. More info. is available at www.cnunewengland.org.

The Sustainable Urbanism Summit will address climate change in New England and seek to develop new strategies for reducing our region's effect on this crisis. The Summit will provide speakers and attendees with the platform to craft innovative and proactive strategies to move New England into a new era of civic, economic, and environmental opportunity. Working sessions will explore strategies for more walkable development patterns, increased public transportation opportunities, new innovations in sustainable energy production, incentives for local agriculture, and other issues raised by the Summit's many innovative speakers.

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6. North Texas Chapter Events March 30-31, 2009

CNU+ A Student Forum (free event!)
Monday, March 30, 2009
1:00-4:30 p.m.
Arlington, Texas

Sustainable Neighborhood Re-Modeling: New Life for Tired Neighborhoods
A Free Public Lecture Featuring Andrés Duany
Monday, March 30, 2009
7:00-8:30 p.m.
Dallas, Texas

Rebuilding our Cities and Suburbs: A Fresh Start for Tired Places
Online Registration Only! Must Register By March 25th!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Seminar 8:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Dallas, Texas

For full details and registration for these events, visit http://cnuntx.org/events.html.

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7. What's New @ CNU.org

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

CNU Salons: Transportation for America Launches Campaign Platform
@ http://www.cnu.org/node/2717
Now that the stimulus bill is law, it's time to move beyond the shovel-ready and start thinking big, bold, and transformational. Transportation for America yesterday rolled out its official campaign platform at an event on Capitol Hill, presenting a new vision for transportation in America.

CNU Salons: Stimulate and Harness Neighborhood Value, Urban Sage David Lewis Advises Obama
@ http://www.cnu.org/node/2692
In an op-ed last week in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, David Lewis offers President Obama some knowing advice: city and town neighborhoods will be a source of great resilience and investing in them will have compounded economic, environmental and social benefits.

CNU Salons: Moule & Polyzoides Receives 2009 Outstanding Architect Award
@ http://www.cnu.org/node/2716
The Los Angeles Business Journal has honored Moule & Polyzoides with its prestigious annual Outstanding Architect Award in a ceremony at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills. The Journal's awards program recognizes acclaimed built projects, firms, and leaders, including architects, developers and others.

CNU Salons: Follow CNU News and Views on Twitter (as well as Facebook)
@ http://www.cnu.org/node/2533
Follow the movement through Twitter and Facebook.

If you haven't experienced CNU.org yet, it's time for you to see what you're missing. Please take a moment to log into our site and learn about the features it has to offer. Please read our Login Instructions to get started.

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

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8. Call for Entries: 2009 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the eighth annual National Award for Smart Growth Achievement. This competition is open to
public-sector or private sector applicants that have used the principles of smart growth to create better places. Private-sector applicants are encouraged to submit applications for projects that demonstrate a significant public-private partnership.

Smart growth development serves the economy, the community, and the environment. Smart growth approaches to development create clear environmental benefits, including improved air and water quality, preservation of critical habitat and open space, and more cleanup and re-use of brownfield sites.

This year, applications will be accepted in five categories:

• Built Projects
• Policies and Regulations
• Smart Growth and Green Building
• Smart Growth Streets
• Overall Excellence in Smart Growth

Interested parties are encouraged to submit applications for smart growth activities that have shown significant activity between April 23, 2004, and April 23, 2009. Successful applicants will have incorporated the principles of smart growth to create places that respect community culture and the environment, foster economic development, and enhance quality of life and public health.

This year, the public sector winners will receive support for further implementing smart growth strategies in their communities. In addition, public sector winners will receive one complementary registration to the New Partners for Smart Growth Conference in 2010.

Applications are due on April 23, 2009. Up to five winners will be recognized at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. in December 2009.

For more details about the National Award for Smart Growth Achievement, including an application packet, visit: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/awards.htm.

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9. USGBC Colorado Chapter: Colorado Sustainability ’09, May 6-7

Colorado Sustainability ’09: The Colorado Facilities & Green Building Expo and Conference
Wednesday, 5/6/09 – Thursday, 5/07/09
Colorado Convention Center

The U.S. Green Building Council Colorado Chapter is hosting a spectacular event; Colorado Sustainability ’09: The Colorado Facilities & Green Building Expo and Conference. This exciting two day event will include a full exhibit hall, and a wide variety of educational programs featuring cutting edge information on all aspects of sustainable design, construction, and operations practices for buildings and communities, including their impact on people, the environment, and the economy.

Visit http://www.usgbccolorado.org/news-events/COsustainability.html to learn more, to see the education session schedule, and for registration information.

Interested in a booth at the expo? Contact Jan Welch: jan@nationalexpositions.com or 727-230-9828

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10. Your Help Needed: Survey for Urban Infill Research Study

The link below will direct you to a brief online survey. This survey is part of a National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) study to develop guidance and a methodology for the preparation and review of transportation impact analyses (TIAs) of infill development in urban or urbanizing areas. You can help support this effort by answering a few brief questions.

Why this is important

Higher density, mixed-use redevelopment and infill development are smart growth concepts that are an increasingly common form of development subject to environmental review and often traffic impact studies. However, there is a lack of standardized guidance and trip and parking generation data for preparing these studies.

Why your help is needed

The first phase of this study involves collecting information on current infill development definitions, infill traffic and parking generation data and estimation methods, TIA analysis methods and agency review procedures. Kimley-Horn and Associates, on behalf of NCHRP, would like to survey those involved in various aspects of infill development in order to collect this information. Your responses are completely confidential and will be used to identify valuable information and resources regarding the current state-of-the-practice of analyzing the impacts of infill development.

Thank you for your time. Please click on the link below to complete the survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Lrpd92BY_2fdnhnncV_2bWeYmg_3d_3d

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11. SmartCode Workshop, Decatur, Ga., April 16-18

Start: 04/16/2009 5:30 PM
End: 04/18/2009 6:30 PM
Location: Decatur, GA (Atlanta metro)

Overcoming the limitations of single-use zoning demands tools that are comprehensive and cost-effective. The form-based SmartCode is such a tool. It provides an integrated template for stimulating healthy growth in keeping with community character and for broadening choices for residents and businesses. At the spring SmartCode Workshop, you can hear context-setting theory from those who invented the Code and get a line-by-line explanation of its key provisions. With technical experts guiding discussions, you can dig deeply into lessons learned and best practices for implementation. Five miles east of downtown Atlanta and serviced directly by rail, Decatur exemplifies the challenges of any modestly sized city operating within a larger metropolitan region. You'll be surrounded by colleagues with similar goals and empowered by the collective wisdom of leading practitioners.

The evening of Thur., April 16, features a public lecture with John Norquist and Andrés Duany.

Host Organization: PlaceMakers, LLC
Contact phone and/or email: Hazel@PlaceMakers.com, 204.989.0217
Contact URL: www.SmartCodeWorkshop.com

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12. Form-Based Codes Institute: 2009 Driehaus Form-Based Codes Awards and Upcoming Trainings

Want to preserve or increase the quality of our communities? Because Form-Based Codes can require rather than recommend the vision elements that make for good urbanism, FBCs are being adopted at an ever increasing rate throughout the U.S. The mission of the Form-Based Codes Institute (FBCI) is "to advance the knowledge and use of, and develop standards for, Form-Based Codes as a method to achieve a community vision based on time-tested forms of urbanism." Perhaps the most important way FBCI advances knowledge and standards for FBCs is through its 3-course series, taught by nationally recognized practitioners.

2009 Driehaus Form-Based Codes Awards

The Form-Based Codes Institute is looking for the best Form-Based Codes adopted to date to hold up as models for others to emulate. Has your community adopted an excellent Form-Based Code? Did you help to develop a code that has since been adopted into law? FBCI wants to recognize the communities that have adopted excellent codes and the codes themselves during CNU 17 in Denver, June 10-14, 2009.

Submissions for consideration must be received by FBCI no later than 4:00 PM Friday, March 6th and winners will be notified by April 30th. Go to the FBCI website for additional information and the award submittal form: www.formbasedcodes.org.

This year's jury includes the following code experts:

Mary Madden, AICP Partner, Ferrell Madden Lewis, Jury Chair
Peter J. Park, AICP Manager, Community Planning and Development, City of Denver
Daniel Parolek, AIA Principal, Opticos Design
Samuel E. Poole, III, JD Shareholder, Berger Singerman Attorneys

Upcoming Trainings

Save the date for the following Form-Based Code trainings. Visit the Form-Based Codes Institute website for more information and a full list of events.

FBC 301: Completing, Adopting and Implementing the Code, Ventura, Calif., March 16-18, 2009. Faculty include Bob Sitkowski, Bill Spikowski, Dan Parolek, +2 more

The ABC's of Form-Based Codes: Special One-Day Introduction
The Form-Based Codes Institute is offering an abbreviated version of its acclaimed Introduction to Form-Based Coding at a greatly reduced registration fee as part of CNU 17. Denver, Colo., June 17, 2009.

Registration for these courses is available at www.formbasedcodes.org. Driehaus Charitable Lead Trust Scholarships of $500 each are available for representatives from not-for-profit historic preservation organizations or public organizations with oversight authority for historic preservation as well as students and faculty from schools of architecture.

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13. National Charrette Institute: Upcoming Trainings

Visit the National Charrette Institute (NCI) website for details on upcoming trainings. Current CNU members receive a 10% discount on NCI registration fees for public trainings held in Portland. All NCI trainings in the United States will qualify for AICP credit hours.

NCI Charrette System™ Certificate
March 9-11, Portland, OR
April 6-8, Phoenix, AZ
May 6-8, Washington DC
July 13-15, Portland, OR
July 27-29, Harvard University
October 19-21, Portland, OR

NCI Charrette Management and Facilitation™ Certificate
March 12-13, Portland, OR
July 16-17, Portland, OR
October 22-23, Portland, OR

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