WELCOME TO THE ​​

WELCOME TO THE SECOND DAY!

Tuesday, July 7, 2026

 

9:00   Buses to Central Market

           Assemble in front of Radisson Old

           Town Riga Hotel

           Includes study tour of Central

           Market and discussion

           PLEASE BE ON TIME!

 

11:00  Buses to Jelgava (from Central Market

          tour dropoff location)

          More opportunity for discussion and

          reflection

 

12:00  Arrive at Hotel Jelgava; Lunch Break

           Those staying in Jelgava drop off bags

 

14:00 Buses Depart for Jelgava Tour  

          Stops include the historic Vecpilsēta

          (Old Town) Street Quarter, and the          

          Soviet-era sites that are candidates for

          regeneration (we will examine               

          concepts in workshops during the

          conference)

 

17:00 Break

          Buses return to Hotel Jelgava;

          opportunity to rest and refresh

 

18:00 Jelgava Palace: Welcome Reception to

          Jelgava and the Palace

          Guests walk over from Hotel Jelgava (or

          other accommodations)  

 

20:00 Break; Dinner on your own

 

THIRD DAY: Wednesday, July 8, 2026:

 

8:00   Registration and Coffee

 

9:00   Welcome and Overview

           Mārtiņš Daģis, Chair (Mayor), Jelgava

           City Council

 

PLENARY I: Lessons of Recovery and

            Regeneration

 

9:10   Lessons from Carmel

          Jim Brainard, former Mayor of Carmel,

          Indiana (sister city of Jelgava)

 

9:40   Lessons from Jelgava

          Jelgava Speaker TBC      

 

10:10  Panel

           Scott Willis, Mayor of Westfield, Indiana

           Moises Rodriguez, Mayor of Brockton,

           Massachusetts USA

           Mārtiņš Daģis, Chair (Mayor), Jelgava

           City Council

           Moderated by Jim Brainard, former

           Mayor of Carmel, Indiana

 

10:40  Coffee and Networking

 

11:10.  PLENARY II: Implementation Tools and

          Strategies

 

11:10   Urban Fabric Repair in Canada's Capital

          Alain Miguelez, Vice President of         

          Capital Planning, Ottawa, Canada

 

11:40  Financial Tools for City Livability

          Henry Mestetsky, City of Carmel,

          Indiana

 

12:10  Implementation Strategies for Urban

          Extensions

          Simon Conibear, former Development

          Manager, Poundbury UK

 

12:40  Implementation Pathways for a New

           Urban Agenda 

           Dyfed Aubrey, UN-Habitat   

 

13:00  Lunch Break (on your own)

 

14:30  FIRST BREAKOUT PERIOD

 

Session 1: Walkability and Pedestrian

           Networks (Aula Hall)

 

Repairing the Pedestrian Interface: Participatory Digital Mediation for Regenerative Transit-Oriented Urbanism in Riyadh

Dania Alarfaj, PhD Student, University College of London, London, United Kingdom

 

From How Much to How Well: Using Pedestrian Network Analysis to Target High-Impact Street Redesigns

Anat Caspi, Director, Taskar Center for Accessible Technology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA

 

The 15-Minute City Reconsidered: What Destinations Do People Actually Walk To?

Devon McAslan, Researcher, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden

 

Wayfinding as Behaviour-Change Infrastructure: Integrating Maps, Signage, Identity, and Product to Grow Everyday Cycling

Zac Procter, Senior Wayfinding Designer, Maynard (for Auckland Transport), Wellington, New Zealand

 

Session 2: Housing, Equity, and Community

           Resilience (Room 280)

 

Ground Zero Power: Collective Construction in the Tenderloin of San Francisco

Miriam Chion, Urban and Regional Researcher, San Francisco, California, USA

 

Small Town Urbanism: Regenerative Models for Farm Worker Housing

Erika Hinrichs, Associate Professor, Pratt Institute, Jackson Heights, New York, USA

 

A Sustainable, Affordable, and Pedestrian-Centered Housing Development in Montpelier, Vermont

Sandy Vitzthum, Principal, Vitzthum Architecture, USA

 

 

Session 3: Regenerative Urbanism and

         Ecological Planning (Room 290)

 

From Apocalyptic Destitution to Modest Living: The Transformation of the Soviet Urban Environment, 1953–1964

Alexander Gogun, PhD, Friedrich Meineke Institute, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany

 

Regulating Reconstruction: Soviet Legacies and Coding for Resilience in Ukraine

Susan Henderson, Principal, Placemakers LLC, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

 

A Kuhnian-Based Analysis of Traffic Failures: Post-Disruption Recovery as an Opportunity to Prevent Car-Centric Lock-In

Hamid Iravani, Transportation Planning Director, Parsons, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

 

Regenerative Zoning: Integrating Science, Practice, and Policy through Urban Planning

Shikha Patel, Assistant Professor, City University Qatar, Doha, Qatar

 

Session 4: Workshop on the Regeneration of Jelgava (Room 291)

A case study considering the planning of upgrades to Jelgava’s Soviet-era buildings. 

 

​

16:15 SECOND BREAKOUT PERIOD

 

Session 5: Urban Fabric Repair and

        Revitalization (Aula Hall)

 

Readapting New York City’s Public Housing: Restoring the Spatial Infrastructure of Community that Modernism Left Out

Frederick Biehle, Professor, Pratt Institute, Jackson Heights, New York, USA

 

Three Levels of Urban Fabric Repair in Canada's Capital

Alain Miguelez, Vice-President, Capital Planning & Chief Planner, National Capital Commission, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

 

Cities on Foot: Transit, Civic Architecture, and the Edges of Public Space in Downtown Brockton

Moises Rodriguez, Mayor, City of Brockton, Brockton, Massachusetts, USA

 

Public and Private Investment in a New Town Center

Michael Swartz, Principal, Managing Director, David M. Schwarz Architects, Washington, DC, USA

 

Session 6: Neuroscience, Beauty, and the Sensory City (Room 280)

 

Neurophysiological and Psychosocial Responses to Virtual School and Healthcare Design: A Scenario-Based EEG/VR Assessment

Ghieth Alkhateeb, Research Fellow, NeuroLandscape, Warsaw, Poland

 

The Neurourbanism Index: A Novel, Citizen Science-Driven Tool for Ecologically Valid Assessment of Mental Health in Place

Agnieszka Olszewska-Guizzo, PhD, Lead Researcher, Fundacja NeuroLandscape, Warsaw, Poland

 

Fractal Rhythms and Regenerative Urbanism: Reclaiming Perception in Controlled City Environments

Yanxi Zhou, PhD Candidate, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, United Kingdom

 

Session 7: Jelgava Urban Sketchout

          (Room 290)

​

Join us for a fun session sketching the delightful architecture and landscape of our host city. No experience necessary, just a willingness to look carefully at our surroundings and be inspired by what we see.

Led by Jenny Donovan, Principal, Inclusive Design, Hillcrest, Tasmania, Australia

 

Session 8: Workshop on the Regeneration of 

         Jelgava (Cont’d) (Room 291)

 

A case study considering the planning of upgrades to Jelgava’s Soviet-era buildings. 

 

17:30 End

         (Dinner on your own)

 

 

FOURTH DAY: Thursday, July 9, 2026:

 

8:00   Registration and Coffee

 

9:00   Welcome and Overview

 

9:10    PLENARY III: Frontiers of Livable Cities

 

9:10    The Original Green and the Original

           Livable City

           Steve Mouzon, The Urban Guild

 

9:40   New Frontiers of the 15-Minute City

           Devon McAslan, Chalmers University of

           Technology

 

10:10   Markets and Public Spaces Around the

            World

            Kristie Daniel, Director, Livable Cities

            Programme, HealthBridge Canada

 

10:40 Coffee and Networking

 

11:10   PLENARY IV: Frontiers of Livable City

          Technology

 

11:10   The Digital Public Square: Engaging

          Digital-Native Generations

          Michael Hadida, The New Agora

 

11:40  AI, Design, and Living Structure

          Bin Jiang, Hong Kong University of

          Science and Technology

 

12:10  What Would "Operationalize" Mean as

          We Strive Toward Livable Cities?

          Jenny Quillien, Sustasis Foundation

 

12:40  PANEL

           Moderated by Jenny Quillien

 

13:00 Lunch Break (on your own)

 

14:30 THIRD BREAKOUT PERIOD:

 

Session 9: Public Space, Democracy, and

           Civic Life (Aula Hall)

 

The 6-Point Visual Check: A Framework for Improving Building Façade Design and Downtown Streetscapes

Adam Bonosky, Senior Community Designer, Fisher Associates, Fairport, New York, USA

 

Responsible Spatial Practices for Holistic Regeneration: Reconnecting Public Space and Inducing Livability in Kolkata

Anjan Mitra, Founding Partner, The Appropriate Alternative, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

 

What Makes a Protest-Friendly City? Lessons from Urban Design and the Spatial Logics of Dissent in Hong Kong and Bangkok

Sing Hang Tam, Lecturer, University of the Arts London, London, United Kingdom

 

Fieldnotes from Kavala: Collages and a Lexicon

Zenovia Toloudi, Associate Professor of Architecture, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA

 

Session 10: Historic Preservation, Vernacular

        Wisdom, and Cultural Identity (Room 280)

 

Architectural Sculpture to Enhance Legibility of Urban Ensembles: 19th Century Compositional Principles

James Dougherty, Principal, Director of Design, Dover, Kohl & Partners Town Planning, Coral Gables, Florida, USA

 

Green Historic Preservation: Reviving Vernacular Wisdom for Modern Solutions

Christopher Fagan, Principal, Arbor Architecture, Long Island City, New York, USA

 

A Timeless Way in Suburbia

Brad Michael, Assistant Professor, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA, USA

 

Latvia and the Architecture of New Technology: What's New in What's Old?

Christine Storry, Principal, Utopia Architects, Toowong, Queensland, Australia

 

Session 11: Workshop on Living Structure + AI (Room 290)

An intensive 3-hour workshop combining lecture and hands-on exploration, focusing on the work of Christopher Alexander.

Led by Bin Jiang, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) 

 

Session 12: Workshop on the Regeneration of Jelgava (Cont’d) (Rm 291)

A case study considering the planning of upgrades to Jelgava’s Soviet-era buildings. 

 

16:15 FOURTH BREAKOUT PERIOD

 

Session 13: Markets and Communities from

         the Ground Up (Aula Hall)

 

Access for Everyone: Designing Market Systems that Deliver Health, Climate, and Economic Benefits at Scale

Kristie Daniel, Director, Livable Cities Program, HealthBridge, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

 

Beyond Playgrounds: Reimagining the Whole City as a Place for Children’s Play

Kristie Daniel, Director, Livable Cities Program, HealthBridge, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

 

A Long Enough Lever: The Little, Everyday Actions with a Large Impact

Jenny Donovan, Principal, Inclusive Design, Hillcrest, Tasmania, Australia

 

Building Downtown from Scratch: Tax Increment Financing and Urban Development Strategies in Carmel, Indiana

Henry Mestetsky, Redevelopment Director, City of Carmel, Carmel, Indiana, USA

 

Session 14: Digital Tools, Knowledge

          Networks, and Patterns (Room 280)

 

A Lifecycle Urbanism Toolbox for Health, Wellbeing, and Longevity

Andrew Georgiadis, Senior Project Director, Dover, Kohl & Partners Town Planning, Sarasota, Florida, USA

 

The Digital Public Square: Engaging Digital-Native Generations in the Making of Livable Cities

Michael Hadida, Founder and CEO, The New Agora, Oslo, Norway

 

Rethinking Cities through Nested Resilient Patterns

Mahmud Tantoush, Senior Lecturer in Architecture and Computation, Manchester School of Architecture, Manchester, United Kingdom

​

Renovation of Existing Residential Quarters: A Riga, Latvia, Case Study

Valdis Zušmanis, Principal, Atelier Zusmanis SIA, ALPS Landscape Atelier, SIA, Māra Reča, Coordinator for International Projects, Riga City Municipality Agency "Riga Energy Agency" (REA), Riga, Latvia

 

Session 15: Workshop on Living Structure + AI

         (Room 290)

​

An intensive 3-hour workshop combining lecture and hands-on exploration, focusing on the work of Christopher Alexander 

Led by Bin Jiang, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) 

 

Session 16: Workshop on the Regeneration of

         Jelgava (Cont’d) (Rm 291)

 

A case study considering the planning of upgrades to Jelgava’s Soviet-era buildings. 

 

17:30 End

         (Dinner on your own)

 

19:00 Optional Ticketed Awards Dinner

 

FIFTH DAY: Friday, July 10, 2026:

 

8:00   Registration and Coffee

 

9:00   Welcome and Overview

 

9:10   PLENARY V: Global Challenges

 

9:10   Tal

 

9:40  Regulating reconstruction: Soviet

          Legacies and Coding for Resilience in

          Ukraine

          Susan Henderson, Placemakers

 

10:10   Restoring the Spatial Infrastructure of

           Community that Modernism Left Out

           Frederick Biehle, Pratt Institute

 

10:40 Coffee and Networking

 

11:10   PLENARY VI: Global Design Strategies

 

11:10   Architectural Sculpture to Enhance

          Legibility of Urban Ensembles

          James Dougherty, Dover, Kohl &

          Partners

 

11:40  Alpharetta City Center: Public

          Investment as a Catalyst for Downtown

          Revitalization

          Michael Swartz, David M. Schwarz and

          Associates

 

12:10  A Lifecycle Urbanism Toolbox for

           Health, Wellbeing, and Longevity

           Andrew Georgiadis, Dover, Kohl &

           Partners

 

12:40 Discussion (all)

 

13:00 Lunch Break (on your own)

 

14:30 PLENARY VII:

            A Global Joined-Up Response

 

14:30   Tools for a Rapidly Urbanizing Planet

            Ben Bolgar, The King's Foundation

 

15:00   Building a Global Network for Livable 

             Traditions

             Marjo Uotila, INTBAU

 

15:30   Discussion (all)

​

16:00   Coffee and Networking

 

16:30   Presentation of Workshop Results and

            Final Discussion

 

17:30  Closing Reception

 

19:00  End