CNU XII Program

CNU XII (Chicago, 2004) brought a record 1375 attendees to Chicago for a Congress built around the theme, "Blocks, Streets, and Buildings Today: The New City Beautiful." A set of sessions explored different visions of urbanism that have shaped cities and towns for better or worse, or have the potential to do so in the future. Major plenary and related breakout sessions explored the Traditional City, the Modernist City, and the Sustainable City, while a final session debated the relevance of the City Beautiful movement in forging a contemporary urbanism that draws on the best elements of these major conceptions of the city. CNU XII paid particular attention to the smallest scale of the Charter--the street, block, and building. Sessions included expert practitioners and theorists from around the country and the world including Andres Duany, Barbara Littenberg, Robert Campbell, Ralph Johnson, Ann Beha, Howard Decker, and Herbert Dreiseitl. A participant summed up CNU XII aptly by saying, "It was intense, worthwhile, educational, and gives hope that things can change."