CNU Salons
Farr from Sustainable: Green Buildings Are Not Enough
Submitted by MattBerggren on Mon, 10/04/2010 - 2:40pmLast Thursday Doug Farr gave a free lecture on Sustainable Urbanism at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison, WI. This event was a preview of CNU's 19th annual Congress, which is taking place from June 1-4, 2011 at the Monona Terrace Convention Center as well. In his lecture, Farr discussed the future of urbanism.
Ken Groves: A Model Planning Director
Submitted by MattBerggren on Mon, 10/04/2010 - 10:58amLast week Montgomory's planning director, Ken Groves, passed away. Ken Groves had been the city's planning director for nearly ten years. During that time he worked hard to revitilize Montgomory's downtown.
Jan Gehl on American Cities and Walkability
Submitted by Luke Hogan on Mon, 09/27/2010 - 11:04amFast Company recently posted a Q and A with Danish urban designer Jan Gehl. Mr. Gehl, the author of the book, "Life Between Buildings," as well as a new book titled "Cities for People," is an expert at building cities at a people-centered scale.
PRETROFIT: British fast-foodie chain's Chicago locale reminds us that retrofits need not be suburban
Submitted by Filmanowicz on Mon, 09/27/2010 - 10:29amAfter blitzing New York City and dipping a toe into Washington, DC, Britain's trendy quick-serve foodie chain, Pret A Manger, has opened its first shop west of the Potomoc — in Chicago's Loop.
Peter Calthorpe on Smart Neighborhood-Building
Submitted by Kaid Benfield on Wed, 09/22/2010 - 2:28pmPeter Calthorpe was one of my early inspirations for getting into this field. I read Peter's work in the mid-1990s, and,as an advocate for a major national environmental organization, I felt for the first time that I had a positive
South Begins to Embrace New Urbanism
Submitted by MattBerggren on Thu, 09/16/2010 - 10:03amWaco, Texas, is among many southern cities recently embracing the tenants of new urbanism. For the last fifty plus years, Waco has been without a thriving downtown. However, Waco is now looking to reinvest in the heart of the city.
LEED-ND is for everyone (in a lot of places)!
Submitted by MattBerggren on Tue, 09/14/2010 - 10:00amIn Kaid Benfield's latest blog entry, "Analysis proves that even small towns and rural areas have locations eligible for LEED-ND honors," he fights back against the idea that small towns and rural areas cannot receive a LEED-ND rating. According to Benfield:
Redefining What "Home" Means (ie. Cozier and Closer to the Action): Urbanists Show Up Strong in NYT Debate
Submitted by Filmanowicz on Wed, 09/08/2010 - 4:19pmThe New York Times "Room for Debate" feature — a round-up of mini-essays on a timely topic from opinion leaders in the relevant field — rises or falls on the quality of its expert panelists.
The Wilderness Downtown
Submitted by MattBerggren on Fri, 09/03/2010 - 10:42amA few weeks ago Arcade Fire released their new album, The Suburbs. Now the band has teamed up with Google to create an HTML5 music video. But this isn't any old music video. Featuring the song "We Used To Wait," the video combines the music of Arcade Fire with Google Maps and Google Street View images to create a personal experience for every viewer.
Sign the petition to save New Orleans' Charity Hospital
Submitted by norabeck on Tue, 08/31/2010 - 11:50amThe City of New Orleans is grappling with what to do with Charity Hospital. The proposed LSU/VA medical complex would permanently abandon Charity Hospital, leaving one of the most beautiful buildings in the city to sit blighted with no plans for reuse.