Congress for the New Urbanism

The Congress for the New Urbanism helps create vibrant and walkable cities, towns, and neighborhoods.

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New Urbanism is inclusive urbanism

Practitioners and thought leaders convene to explore new urbanists’ commitment to building great places for all people, beginning with the gendered urban experience. Read more.

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The 5-minute neighborhood, 15-minute city, and 20-minute suburb

At either the 5- or 15-minute scale, the guiding principle of a walkable, diverse urban environment remains a guidepost for amenable, sustainable, and resilient communities. The pandemic experience showed us that walkable proximity is more desirable than ever. As stay-at-home work became increasingly common, the surrounding context took on a new importance. In walkable neighborhoods, retail thrived. The walking and biking that prevailed during the lockdown boosted outdoor activity and a sense of community by being on foot.

But what about the still-sprawling suburbs? Should their residents be excluded from the enjoyment and advantages of walking to destinations? Recently, the reality of suburban distances to retail and community amenities has inspired a new term: the “20-minute suburb.”

Read more.

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Town extensions with urbanism are a great idea

From Poundbury to the Pearl District, many of the most successful new urban projects have been extensions of a town or city. They take existing urbanism and build on it by expanding a walkable street network. Here are 10 examples of new urban plans and developments—eight in the US and two in England—that extend the street grid of a city or town:

Woodstock, Georgia

Pearl District in Portland, Oregon

Poundbury, Dorchester, England

Frisco Square, Frisco, Texas

Addison Circle, Addison, Texas

Bastrop, Texas

Kentlands and Lakelands, Gaithersburg, Maryland

South Main, Buena Vista, Colorado

Tregunnel Hill, Cornwall, England

Belmont, North Carolina

Read more.

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Traveling near and far toward low-carbon cities

The conventions of New Urbanism show maps of urban areas dotted with quarter-mile circular pedestrian sheds. Recent thinking expands planning units of urbanism to walking or bicycling sheds of 15 minutes. An emerging multimodal transportation revolution is adding more dimensions that stretch ranges further. Urban planner Peter Calthorpe suggests that “we're moving toward a really complicated wonderful mixed-modality world”1 of local travel by e-bikes and other emerging modes of mobility. This revolution raises questions about how to define the boundaries of sustainable mobility. The existential threat of climate change demands that we clearly demarcate when automobile use is reasonable and when it is senseless.

Read more.

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Fighting loneliness through community design

Loneliness has profound implications for health and resilience in the face of disaster, including extreme weather. A landmark study in Chicago showed dramatic differences between two neighborhoods during a historic heat wave: The neighborhood with better social connections (but similar economics) experienced fewer deaths. More broadly, Loneliness exacerbates acute and chronic disease and mental health problems. The most significant predictor of health is social interaction—surpassing even physical activity, according to Joanna Lombard, a University of Miami professor who has studied healthy communities. 

The connection between social interaction and health wasn’t always widely recognized. Murthy explains that he was unaware of it when he first became Surgeon General in 2014. While his 2023 report did not mention community design as a key factor, media analyses in recent months have highlighted the obvious—how we plan communities and public space tends to isolate or bring people together. 

Read more.

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As part of our 30th anniversary, the Charter Amendment Process placed the responsibility of drafting amendments to the Charter into the hands of CNU members. Dozens of amendments were received! Celebrate and represent CNU with a limited edition t-shirt: https://members.cnu.org/giving_2023

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The winners of the #2023CharterAwards were recognized for their exemplary work designing and building places people love. The winners not only embody and advance the principles of the Charter of the New Urbanism, they make a difference in people's lives. https://www.cnu.org/publicsquare/529

Submissions for the 2024 Charter Awards close December 31! https://www.cnu.org/charter-awards

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The 2023 Climate & Equity Challenge Projects represent inspired approaches to centering climate and equity through the co-benefits that walkable, sustainable, inclusive urbanism offer. This work is vital for addressing the most pressing issues of our time. https://www.cnu.org/our-issues/climate/2023-challenge-finalists

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Freeways Without Futures 2023

This year saw the release of our 8th #FreewaysWithoutFutures report. The 2023 report featured ten local campaigns in communities advocating for equity & reconnection during a time of reckoning for North American urban freeway infrastructure.

https://www.cnu.org/highways-boulevards/freeways-without-futures/2023

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2024 Charter Awards submissions close December 31

Submissions for the #2024CharterAwards are open through December 31, 2023! Get inspired by past winners including the Albany Skyway that reclaims an "ugly chunk of highway" to reconnect downtown with the Hudson riverfront via a new linear park. Read more.

Submit to the 2024 Charter Awards at: https://www.cnu.org/charter-awards

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Thank you to the over 1350 #NewUrbanists who joined us for #CNU31 in Charlotte where we launched our Congress rethink process and introduced the annual Congress Focus.

Support our annual Congress and receive a limited edition t-shirt while supplies last: members.cnu.org/giving_2023

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Great Idea 25: Freeways Without Futures

Reducing state and federal infrastructure costs while boosting local economies by strengthening urban places is a win-win from in-city freeway transformation. Read more.

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Great Idea 24: The polycentric region

Market and local government support for new urbanist values is rising and that is changing the planning mindset in many regions. Read more.

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Great Idea 23: Public housing that engages the city

Public housing in the form of complete or partial neighborhoods started with HOPE VI and became standard practice, impacting the lives of people in cities and towns across America. Read more.

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Great Idea 22: Sustainable urbanism

The trend toward complete communities shapes the debate on sustainability and environmentalism, and vice-versa. Read more.

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Great Idea 21: Multidisciplinary design charrette

A time-compressed design process that gathers all of the stakeholders and practitioners together has great potential for creating more holistic communities, experts say. Read more.

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Great Idea 20: Interconnected street networks

In order to get good streets, you have to think beyond any single street—an idea that is at the core of New Urbanism. Dendritic networks lead to fragmented and dispersed land uses. Read more.