June 11 – 15: Congress of New Urbanism (CNU) Comes to Louisville

“Designing the Healthy City of the Future” provides an appropriate setting to discuss this important question.  The Congress for New Urbanism has for three decades been an advocate for smarter growth methods, believing that well-designed cities and neighborhoods are crucial for our health, economy, and environment. Louisville, Kentucky is currently serving as a laboratory for some of the nation’s most promising initiatives on community health and wellness.  Bringing together a mix of perspectives on this issue from the design, medical, environmental, and community health fields to discuss this important issue will be valuable to breaking down the barriers among these fields, leading to a highly collaborative and fully integrated approach.

What does it mean to be a compassionate city? Is it something that can be built into the ethos and the design of a community?  Since taking office in 2010, Mayor Greg Fischer has made compassion one of the pillars of his administration, and Louisville has become a leader in the Compassionate City movement.  Much of the inspiration of this work has derived from the spirit, principles and the humanity of Muhammad Ali, Louisville’s most renowned native son. His torch continues to bur even after his death through the efforts of his wife Lonnie and the millions of people across the globe who continue to see him as a beacon of light and compassion.  Hear from both Mrs. Ali and Mayor Fischer as they discuss the inspiration and the evolution of Louisville as a City of Compassion. Join us as well in recognizing the 2019 Legacy Projects that CNU sponsored with local Louisville neighborhood groups and volunteer design teams in four different neighborhoods this past March.

Building on Wednesday’s plenary session, this special two-part event challenges participants to reflect and act on our nation’s and the world’s most pressing challenges: the persistence of systematic inequalities in our cities and towns, and the coming climate change that is reinforcing and aggravating these inequalities. Smart Growth America’s CEO Calvin Gladney will moderate a vital conversation about the prospects for American cities, both those that are experiencing strong growth, and those that are still struggling to recover from years of disinvestment, racial segregation, and lack of opportunity.  How do we identify and implement strategies that can actively help revitalize underserved communities, yet avoid displacement and increase access to opportunity? Come hear this critical conversation on recovering from disinvestment in cities in ways that uplift all residents and create thriving communities. Next, noted urbanist and author Douglas Kelbaugh illustrates the urgent challenges that climate change poses, as it creates proliferating physical, social, political and cultural problems (and opportunities), especially in cities. Kelbaugh boldly envisions healthy, climate-smart, and resilient communities through better design, planning and policy.

In March, special CNU led teams worked with the local communities to create improvement strategies in the Woodlawn Avenue area and along 18th Street in West Louisville. Join us as the teams review the recommendations and discuss implementation efforts that have already begun.

In March, special CNU led teams worked with the local communities to create improvement strategies along Beargrass Creek and in the East Portland area. Join us as the teams review the recommendations and discuss implementation efforts that have already begun.