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Help CNU Keep Up the Momentum

Dear [firstname],

"To put it bluntly, the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) is perhaps the only surviving collective intelligence left in the United States that is producing ideas consistent with the reality. [...] They recognize the crisis we will soon face in food production, and the desperate need to reactivate the relationship between the way we inhabit the landscape and the way we feed ourselves. They recognize that the solution to the liquid fuels crisis is not cars that can run by other means but rather walkable towns and cities connected by public transit."
– James Howard Kunstler (www.kunstler.com/blog) after CNU 17 in Denver

Blunt, yes, but also accurate. We've faced a year clouded with downsizing, global warming, foreclosures and other looming concerns. Yet, this year's Congress, a gathering of architects, planners, and real estate development professionals (arguably some of the recession's hardest hit groups), carried a tone not of doom and fear but of purpose, excitement, and opportunity. We are witnessing a coming of age of New Urbanism—our ideas are being embraced by the public like never before and we're seeing a new receptiveness in state and federal policy. We need your help to keep up this energy and momentum. CNU is seeking to raise $20,000 by July 31 to support our efforts to spread New Urbanism. Please contribute to our movement today—your support is more important than ever right now.

The energy at CNU 17 in Denver last month came from an understanding of the key role New Urbanism must play in addressing some of our society's mega-challenges—global climate change, peak oil, deteriorating public health, and a demographic-driven mismatch between the housing we have and the housing that's needed. And it wasn't just CNU insiders who sensed something special. Here's what Tim Halbur, managing editor of Planetizen, had to say:

"The atmosphere is dramatic here at CNU, and not just outside the conference center. Everyone is a twitter (and yes, some people are Twittering at #CNU17) about the effect of the economy on the role of New Urbanism. The consensus seems to be that there is a spark of purpose in attendees and presenters not seen in recent years, driven by the culture shift inherent in this new economy and the need for new urbanists to shift into high gear to help solve climate change...”

We rely on your support to help us shift into high gear. CNU is the only organization that brings together such a diverse, interdisciplinary group of professionals dedicated to advancing efforts to build, preserve, and redevelop sustainable pedestrian-friendly communities. We are the collective voice of new urbanists and for the principles of New Urbanism. And it's the strength and resolve of this professional community that gives our organization power. Dan Solomon put this eloquently following his experience at CNU 17:

“New Urbanism exists because of the ever-deepening bonds among the community of people who sustain it. The lives and life-work of every one of us have been altered and enriched by our many friends in CNU. There is nothing else and there could be nothing else as nurturing to our work and our spirits as annual immersion in the broad, multi-talented circle of people who have come to know each other so well...” 

This year, as members and supporters, you helped develop some of our most groundbreaking and exciting initiatives:

• Sustainable Street Networks—In December we released a report on the advantages of highly-connected street networks in response to the stimulus bill, and this year we've been advocating in DC for the adoption of connectivity standards in federal transportation and environmental policy.
• Emergency Response & Street Design—In May we released a new report on the common ground between new urbanist street design and emergency response, and last month we submitted proposed changes to the International Fire Code that seek to improve overall public safety, street network connectivity, and emergency response times.
• New Urbanist Accreditation—We launched a new accreditation program last month in partnership with the University of Miami School of Architecture.
• LEED-ND: Recognizing that Urbanism Is Green—New urbanists have been working hard to refine this new rating system based on your feedback to create the strongest version yet upholding new urbanist values. We will ask CNU members to vote on the first public version of the LEED-ND rating system later this month.
• Highways to Boulevards—We will continue our initiative to replace elevated urban highways with neighborhood-friendly boulevards by bringing our campaign to New Orleans later this year.

Since 1993, we have benefited from robust member participation, strong partnerships, and valuable grants. However, gifts from individuals are a critical source of funding for our initiatives and will help bridge the gap between other funding sources and our budget. We invite you to be part of the new urbanist solution by donating to CNU today.

Sincerely,

John Norquist
President & CEO

To remove your email address from future CNU e-Updates, please reply to cnuinfo@cnu.org with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

Congress for the New Urbanism
140 S. Dearborn St., Ste. 404
Chicago, IL 60603, USA
TEL 312.551.7300
FAX 312.346.3323
www.cnu.org