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EVENTS
New Science = New + Old Architecture?
The “modern” paradigm in architecture forbids revival of past patterns, and demands rupture and novelty. But that last remaining taboo is a century old now, and showing its failings – and emerging scientific findings point in a very different direction. A discussion post for the 63rd International Making Cities Livable conference in Riga and Jelgava, Latvia, July 6-10, 2026. NOTE: A version of this article also ran on the site Common Edge. In 1998, the critic and theorist Ch
ONE MONTH To Historic 63rd International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) Conference in Beautiful Latvia
Preparations are in place for a content-rich gathering, featuring study tours, receptions, workshops and much more; livable city topics include affordability, walkability, economic opportunity, resilience, artificial intelligence in design, and many more timely issues for cities and towns. ABOVE: Left and center, IMCL Board Members Jim Brainard and Michael Mehaffy meeting recently with staff at Riga's very beautiful House of the Blackheads, where the opening reception will b
New Video Guide Provides Practical Information for Attendees at the 63rd IMCL Conference in Latvia
IMCL Board Members Michael Mehaffy and Jim Brainard traveled to Riga and Jelgava, met with mayors and staff, and confirmed venues and other final arrangements for the next timely conference in the long-running series ABOVE: The "practicalities video" showing logistics for travel, accommodation, dining and activities at the 63rd International Making Cities Livable (click to play). RIGA AND JELGAVA, LATVIA - Michael Mehaffy, Executive Director of the Lennard Institute for Livab
Beautiful Latvia Awaits IMCL Participants in Especially Timely 63rd Conference on Livable Cities
Urgent topics will include affordability, walkability and bikability, health and well-being, zoning code reform, financial tools and strategies, AI in planning and design, and much more ABOVE: The House of the Blackheads, site of the opening reception of the 63rd IMCL conference. (Photo: Jorge Franganillo via Flickr.) RIGA AND JELGAVA, LATVIA – Organizers of the International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) conference series are here to make final preparations for the next confe
Why Livable Cities Matter Now More Than Ever: Learning from Europe and the Baltics on Cities, Culture, and Democratic Resilience
Global Urban Leaders Will Convene in Beautiful Latvia for IMCL’s 63rd International Conference on Livable Cities, July 6-10, 2026 ABOVE: The beautiful and livable cities of Jelgava (top) and Riga (bottom), offers many lessons on how to recover from disruptions to achieve a healthy and prosperous city. By Jim Brainard, International Making Cities Livable The upcoming International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) conference in Riga and Jelgava, Latvia, is more than a discussion ab
63rd IMCL Will Explore the Impact of Artificial Intelligence in Urban Planning and Design
Amont other topics, sessions and workshops will consider how to use AI in generative design while avoiding its dangers; generative pattern language approaches will also be explored. JELGAVA, LATVIA - Among the many challenges facing cities and towns today, artificial intelligence looms as both an opportunity and a threat — and, for most practitioners working in planning and design, a growing challenge to understand and engage. The tools are arriving faster than the framework
What Can We Learn from Riga, Latvia, "One of the Top Walkable Cities in Europe"?
The city offers many lessons in shaping streets and paths, "outdoor rooms," and appealing architectural details ABOVE: Just some of the architectural treasures of Riga, Latvia — in this case, its remarkable collection of Art Nouveau architecture — making it an exemplar case study of walkability. RIGA, LATVIA - When a city like Riga is named among Europe's most walkable — as was recently the case for Riga by Forbes, Time Out, and others — it is tempting to attribute the recogn
63rd IMCL in Latvia Will Be Another Rich Immersive Experience in the Latest Livable City Developments
The neighboring cities of Riga and Jelgava are fascinating laboratories of emerging global leadership and resilience — offering exactly the kind of firsthand, peer-to-peer learning that has made IMCL conferences a formative experience for urban professionals for four decades ABOVE: The beautiful venue cities of Riga and Jelgava, Latvia, newly stable and prosperous after centuries of fascinating and sometimes disruptive history. RIGA, LATVIA - Imagine walking through the stree
PATTERNS OF LIFE: How Traditional Urban Patterns Are a More Powerful (and More Necessary) Antidote than We Might Think for the Current "Age of Disruption"
A discussion post for the upcoming 63rd International Making Cities Livable conference , on "Regenerative Architecture and Urbanism: Recovery and Resilience After an Age of Disruption" ABOVE: "Traditional" and "modern" environments in Jelgava and Riga, Latvia, exhibit very different forms of geometric order -- which, as new research is revealing, have profoundly different consequences for human well-being. Images: City of Jelgava, Wikimedia Commons. JELGAVA, LATVIA - One of t
Learning from the Baltics: What Can “Regions in Transition” Teach Global City Leaders?
From post-Soviet transformation to regenerative futures in Riga and Jelgava ABOVE: The historic fabric of Latvia offers a distinctive "DNA of place" for potential regeneration. RIGA, LATVIA - Across the world, a growing number of regions are grappling with profound structural transitions—economic, demographic, environmental, and geopolitical. Yet some of the most instructive examples are not found in the usual “global city” case studies, but in places that have undergone deep
Participants at 63rd IMCL Will Explore City Resilience, Regeneration, Livability, Health - and Tools and Strategies for Action
Speakers will include international leaders from governments, universities, NGOs, and practitioner firms; Early-bird registration ends March 31st ABOVE: A graphic of the locales of invited and accepted speakers at the 63rd International Making Cities Livable in Riga and Jelgava, Latvia. JELGAVA, LATVIA - The accepted abstracts and invited speakers for the 63rd International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) Conference here, July 6-10, 2026, reflect a striking convergence of discip
54 Abstracts Accepted to IMCL 2026 in Latvia as Side Tour Options Are Offered
Accepted speakers are leading researchers, city officials, practitioners, developers and NGO heads from every continent except Antarctica; Early-bird registration ends March 31 ABOVE: Tour options include a Sunday evening canal cruise through historic Riga, and Saturday day trips to castles, national parks and the wooden architecture of historic seaside towns. RIGA, LATVIA - the 63rd International Making Cities Livable conference will start here in a little over three months
Are New Towns the Answer for Housing Affordability and City Livability?
Planned or unplanned, a new generation of urbanization around the globe is under way. What are the lessons from history? ABOVE: An aerial view of the proposed California Forever development, also known as the Suisun Expansion of the existing Suisun City. Image by California Forever . SOLANO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA USA - The idea of building “new towns” to solve housing shortages and improve urban livability is not new. From the Garden Cities of Ebenezer Howard to modernist exper
Learning from France About Building Affordable, LIVABLE Cities and Towns
From a country of grim dormitory suburbs, the country is building a new generation of polycentric regions connected by trams -- and over 300,000 homes per year, many of them affordable. ABOVE: Le Plessis-Robinson, a town within Paris' polycentric region, former dormitory suburb transformed into a mixed, walkable "15-minute city" -- with 35% affordable housing. PARIS, FRANCE - A new report from our colleagues at Create Streets in London finds that France has quietly achieved
Plans Are Firmed Up for 63rd IMCL Latvia as Call for Abstracts Closes with Excellent Submissions
Abstract proposers include leading mayors, researchers, planners, architects, developers and NGO heads from across the globe; they will be added to distinguished plenary speakers ABOVE: The beautiful venues of Riga and Jelgava, Latvia, locales of the 63rd IMCL conference. RIGA AND JELGAVA, LATVIA - The Call for Abstracts for the 63rd International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) conference has now closed, and the submissions on wide-ranging topics of livability include housing a
No-Obligation Call for Abstracts Enters Last Weekend for 63rd International Making Cities Livable in Beautiful Latvia, July 6-10, 2026
Already announced speakers include international leaders in housing affordability, financial tools, pattern languages, public space improvements, walkability and health, symmetry and biophilia, sustainable building, and other effective tools and strategies for making cities livable ABOVE: A partial listing of the first roster of speakers announced for the 63rd IMCL RIGA, LATVIA - One week remains for the Call for Abstracts as the first group of speakers is announced for the
First Speakers Announced for IMCL 2026 as Call for Abstracts Enters Last Weekend
Speakers are international leaders in housing affordability, financial tools, pattern languages, public space improvements, walkability and health, symmetry and biophilia, sustainable building, and other effective tools and strategies for making cities livable ABOVE: A partial listing of the first roster of speakers announced for the 63rd IMCL RIGA, LATVIA - One week remains for the Call for Abstracts as the first group of speakers is announced for the 63rd International Ma
The ‘missing middle’ of zoning code reform
Beyond the battles between NIMBY and YIMBY, a third option— call it “QUIMBY”—offers a promising path forward. NOTE: This blog post first ran in CNU Public Square, and it includes topics we will discuss at the 63rd International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) conference in Riga, Latvia, July 6-10, 2026. Thanks to CNU Public Square. Michael Mehaffy Executive Director, Lennard Institute / IMCL Imagine that you’re a parent with a couple of quarrelsome kids. You give them some slice
Next IMCL Conference Set to Share Frontier City Research and Solutions, as Call for Abstracts Enters Final Two Weeks
Submitted abstract topics to date include climate adaptation, ecology, regenerative planning and design, walkability and transportation choice, local identity, neuroscience, pattern languages, and the value of public markets; submissions have come from across the globe ABOVE: The Call for Abstracts is still open for the 63rd International Making Cities Livable, and the Call will close at the end of February. For more information or to submit, please visit: https://www.imcl.on
From Vision to Code: Why Pattern Languages May Be the Crucial "Missing Middle" of Urban Implementation
The methodology pioneered by Christopher Alexander has transformed software, wiki and other fields; with key reforms, could it finally fulfill its promise for architecture and urbanism? EDITOR'S NOTE: This blog post is part of a series of discussion topics leading to the 63rd International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) conference in Riga and Jelgava, Latvia. July 6-10, 2026. Key colleagues of Christopher Alexander will be present to continue work on the pattern language meth
Why No Home Is An Island
Unpacking Fallacies and Realities in the Housing Affordability Debates NOTE: This article is part of a series of discussion posts leading to the 63 rd International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) conference , July 6-10 in Riga and Jelgava, Latvia. The housing debate in the USA, and to some extent in other countries, has a dominant refrain: build more homes, and prices will fall. That basic supply-and-demand logic animates the so-called Yes In My Back Yard or YIMBY movement, w
Learning from Europe’s Resilience: Practical Lessons About Successful Urban Regeneration After Disruption
The 63rd International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) will study new innovations as well as timeless lessons, in beautiful Riga and Jelgava, Latvia, July 6-10, 2026 ABOVE: Riga and Jelgava, Latvia, the locales of the 63rd International Making Cities Livable. EDITOR'S NOTE: This post is an introduction to some of the themes of the next IMCL conference in the long-running and venerable series begun in 1985. Cities today are facing a wave of potentially unprecedented disruptions.
Plans Are Set for a Spectacular IMCL 2026 Conference in Riga and Jelgava, Latvia
The theme is “Regenerative Architecture and Urbanism: Recovery and Resilience After an Age of Disruption”, set for July 6-10, 2026 ABOVE: A video by the team as we made preparations for the conference in beautiful Latvia, showing conference and hotel venues, and other features we will visit. (Click to play.) JELGAVA, LATVIA - The 63rd International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) conference is set to occur this summer in this city, and in nearby Riga, the capital of Latvia. The
REGISTRATION AND CALL FOR ABSTRACTS ARE OPEN for the 63rd International Making Cities Livable (IMCL), July 6-10, 2026 in beautiful Riga and Jelgava, Latvia
The fascinating region offers many lessons for livable cities, and for resilience and recovery from disruptive periods of history - including the present. NOTE that the former August dates have been revised to avoid conflicts. ABOVE: Beautiful Riga and Jelgava, Latvia, our host venues for the 2026 IMCL conference. JELGAVA, LATVIA - The 2026 conference of the International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) will be held here, from 6-10 July, 2025. The topic is "Regenerative Architec
62nd IMCL Concludes by Recognizing Urban Challenges, but Also Finding Inspiration
The beautiful Potsdam venue was a highlight for many-- as were the insightful exchanges with global leaders in research, policy and practice Above, some of the attendees on the way to the Awards Dinner in the Historic Mil restaurant at Sanssouci Park in Potsdam. POTSDAM, October 19th, 2025 - The 40th anniversary International Making Cities Livable just concluded here with over 100 attendees from the Americas, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe -- including global leaders in
62nd IMCL Begins in Potsdam, with a Focus on the Architecture of the Livable Future
Noted Author Rick Steves welcomes the conference delegates with reflections on this moment in history for cities -- and for nations ABOVE: Author and presenter Rick Steves welcomes delegates in a topical discussion with IMCL Executive Director Michael Mehaffy POTSDAM, GERMANY, October 17, 2025 - The 62nd International Making Cities Livable started here today with a gathering of researchers, architects, planners, developers, mayors, and city officials, with a particular focus
Is the Shape of Our Cities and Towns Eroding Our Critical Social Fabric and Stoking Divisiveness?
Among more obvious geopolitical and environmental threats, the threat of civic and cultural degradation may be just as important, if much...
One Month Until Historic 40th Anniversary International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) Conference!
The Potsdam, Germany venue is a beautiful and instructive exemplar of livability; we will gather there to examine local lessons, share...
40th Anniversary IMCL will focus on "changing the operating system for growth" at a critical time for livable cities and towns
Partners, researchers and practitioners will bring the latest research and action on code reform, transportation design, financial...
IMCL Potsdam Announces Friday Evening Discussion Dinner at the Historic Mill Restaurant, and Other Evening Activities
Attendees are encouraged to sign up for the ticketed dinner and to select their menu items now; tickets for tours will be available soon...
The Housing Crisis Is Not About The Price of Buildings. It's About the Price of the Dirt Beneath Them.
A discussion post for the 62nd International Making Cities Livable conference in Potsdam, Germany, October 15-19, 2025 ABOVE: In spite of...
Why We Need "Plug-and-Play Urbanism"
Making cities livable will require an optimum combination of standardization and customization, drawing lessons from other industries—and...
Building on "Collective Intelligence": Learning From Potsdam's Spectacular Postwar Reconstruction
The 62nd IMCL Conference will study the many important lessons of this stunning renaissance - including the genetic intelligence of...
Editors Announce Volume II of "The Art of the New Urbanism," Invite Submissions
The second volume will cover 2010-2025, and will include master plans, finished renderings, process sketches, travel sketches,...
Beyond the Architectural Style Debates: Why We Might Say "It’s the Geometry, Stupid” (?)
New research confirms the transcendent (and surprisingly cutting-edge) qualities of built environments that enrich our lives and promote...
Lennard Institute Announces Complementary IMCL Membership Program For All Attendees at 40th Anniversary Conference in Potsdam
Benefits in the no-obligation program include a discount for the 25th Anniversary INTBAU World Congress during the following week;...
How can we apply urban research more effectively to make better cities, towns and suburbs?
The 62nd International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) conference in Potsdam, Germany, October 15-18, will take up this important question,...
New Research By Cambridge-Led Team Shows How Building Façades Trigger Visual Stress
Cambridge researcher and IMCL speaker Cleo Valentine, along with her colleagues at Cambridge, The University of Essex and Universitat...
Why "A Building is Not a 'Tree'"
Christopher Alexander's classic 1965 paper applies to both the city scale and the building scale, with important new implications -- even...
Join Global Leaders In Urban Research into ACTION, at Our 40th Anniversary International Making Cities Livable, October 15-18 in Beautiful Potsdam, Germany
Featured topics include cognitive architecture, neuroscience, complexity, public space, AI, climate action, urban and planetary health,...
Report from Potsdam, Site of the 62nd IMCL, October 15-18, 2025 - Our 40th Anniversary Year!
The beautiful city in the Berlin region is a fascinating laboratory of old and new lessons for livable cities ABOVE: Executive Director...
Do we love old places just because they’re old?
On the contrary, new research in neuroscience and other fields is beginning to tease out specific geometric properties that shape the...
The Many Spinoff Benefits of Urban Climate Action
Debates too often focus on narrow disaster preparedness or emissions reductions, overlooking the many other immediate quality-of-life...
2025 IMCL Conference Plans Firmed Up!
Potsdam (Germany) Venue is Confirmed, While Portugal Is Postponed; Conference Set for October 15-18, 2025 ABOVE: Views of beautiful...
Big news about upcoming IMCL conference plans!
Our team is currently working to finalize four exciting invitations to organize upcoming conferences for 2025 and 2026 in inspiring case...
And That's a Wrap - For Number 61!
The 2024 IMCL Cortona conference just concluded four intense days of thought-provoking content and great companionship in the beautiful...
Attendees are traveling to Cortona, Italy for the 61st International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) next week!
Good weather and great speakers await the participants, as Cortona Mayor Luciano Meoni and Cultural Attaché to the US Embassy in Rome...
61st IMCL Conference Will Focus on Implementation with Leaders of Top International Projects
The conference will bring together mayors, developers, researchers, practitioners, and NGO leaders to exchange peer-to-peer insights and...
"Deep Symmetry" (Not Just Mirror Symmetry) May Be Essential for Healthy Human Environments
New research suggests there might be a "symmetry deficit disorder" in today's built environments, with significant impacts on health,...
Why Geographic Diversity Is As Important As Other Kinds of Diversity for Cities
Cities, and the nations that contain them, generate benefits from concentrations of talent—but also from “spreading it around.” Striking...
The International Making Cities Livable conference series was begun in 1985 by Dr. Henry L. Lennard, a Viennese medical sociologist, and Dr. Suzanne C. Lennard, an architectural researcher. Both were committed to sharing knowledge to make healthier, more ecological, more equitable, more beautiful -- more livable -- cities, towns and suburbs. The conference series, study tours, and other events, bring together leaders from policy, practice and academia, to share effective tools and strategies, and to examine instructive case studies.
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