Downtown Portland (photo by Brian Libby)
BY COLIN CORTES AND JOSEPH READDY
In the last decade, US Green Building Council has seen a groundswell of support develop for its initiatives, not only through the USGBC’s LEED rating system for green buildings but through its chapters across the nation and the world. What if we could collectively bring the same level of attention to a wider array of city building? That’s the goal of the Congress for the New Urbanism. New Urbanism is lighter on the pocketbook, more efficient with tax dollars, safer for pedestrians, bikers and drivers, easier on the environment and is a healthier way to live. It just performs better.
The Charter of the New Urbanism seeks to understand and improve the places in which we live at three scales: the region; the neighborhood; and block, the street, and the building. The dynamism of CNU results from spirited debates about how to best respect new urbanist principles. For nearly twenty years, CNU members have promoted the hallmarks of new urbanism, including:
- Livable streets arranged in compact, walkable blocks.
- A range of housing choices to serve people of diverse ages and income levels.
- Schools, stores and other nearby destinations reachable by walking, bicycling or transit service.
- An affirming, human-scaled public realm where appropriately designed buildings define and enliven streets and other public spaces.
Earlier this month, Portland-area members of the CNU met for the first time since CNU 19, the nineteenth annual meeting in Madison, Wisconsin June 1-4. CNU 19 in Madison had included discussion threads organized around the topics of food policy, access, and quality; bicycle mobility and transportation; social equity; and environmental justice.
Since 2005, the CNU has also fostered what is called an “open-source congress,” where members, following their own interests, propose new work initiatives. Like open source software, the metaphorically termed open space technology is a way to convene persons interested in a discussion topic, provide structure to the discussion, and allow the discussion to propagate across time and space, increasing the relevance and effect of the discussion. Three CNU Cascadia members from Portland – Bill Lennertz, Colin Cortes, and Marcy McInelly – initiated individual open-source sessions in Madison. Bill, Colin, and Marcy shared their reasons for promoting their sessions, a summary of their work completed during the congress, and efforts resulting from their initiatives.
CNU members were joined by more than twenty faculty and students from the masters in architecture and new urbanism programs at Querétaro campus of the Tecnológico de Monterrey for a lively discussion on architecture and urban design in Mexico and the United States. The students are traveling up the west coast touring the cities of San Francisco, Portland, and Vancouver British Columbia.
Encouraged and inspired by the success of USGBC and its nationwide network of chapters, CNU implemented chapters in 2004. The Cascadia Chapter was first organized in 2005, incorporated in 2008, and is the bi-national and regional in scale, covering British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. CNU Cascadia is looking for new members who want to improve the built environment. While a few colorful personalities founded CNU in 1993, today almost 3,000 members confirm the timeliness of the CNU mission by adding to its momentum.
For example, member Marianne Cusato designed the famed “Katrina Cottage” for victims of Hurricane Katrina to provide a dignified and durable alternative to standard FEMA trailers. Eliot Allen, principal with Criterion Planners in Portland, has done much to help infuse the LEED-ND rating system with new-urbanist principles. For his help in advancing the SmartCode, the most well known model form-based code, Allen was co-recipient of a 2009 CNU Charter Award.
Beyond a spectrum of scales, CNU benefits from a spectrum of members and partner organizations with a variety of experience and perspectives about how to improve our built environment. CNU partnered with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to create the LEED-ND rating system, as well as “Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Approach”, a joint Institute for Transportation Engineers and CNU initiative that will improve mobility and community by promoting walkable communities.
Besides joining CNU and gaining the benefits, you can stay abreast of new urbanism and learn how to contribute by visiting the CNU Cascadia website and participating in the Google group, LinkedIn group, or Facebook group. Of course, for in-person connections there’s an annual CNU Cascadia Summit, the next in March 2012, and the next Congress, CNU 20 May 9-12, 2012 in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Colin Cortes is an assistant planner with the City of Tualatin. Joseph Readdy is a Portland architect and an adjunct professor of architecture and urban design at Portland State University.
Advertisement
Comments