To restart the economy while saving the planet, the Congress for the New Urbanism advocates traditional neighborhoods for all
That's how Scott Bernstein, president of the Center for Neighborhood Technology, summed up the call-to-service at CNU 17, the 2009 Congress for the New Urbanism, June 10-14 in Denver. The planning organization has stepped up its no-sprawl message, lobbying in D.C. for new federal law that promotes sustainable development patterns through urban reinvestment. The Obama administration reportedly is listening: "The biggest urbanist in the White House is Barack Obama," observed John Norquist, CEO of CNU and a former mayor of Milwaukee.
New Urbanists are a frankly evangelical bunch; for nearly two decades they've preached that compact urban form can help correct everything from poverty to obesity. Increasingly, their anti-sprawl message appeals to both policy-makers and next-gen lifestylers (the one-third of Americans who now say they'd like to live near a coffee shop and a streetcar stop in a cool city neighborhood). At CNU 17, two overarching themes of national import emerged. One was the economy, stupid: how smart city-shaping, supported by the right federal transportation policy and funding, offers a powerful tool for communities across the U.S. to create value, wealth, and jobs now. The second was climate action: how U.S. policy that promotes compact (re)development is essential to the fight against global warming.
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