"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,...
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EVENTS
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...
Just Over One Month to the 61st IMCL Conference in Cortona IT, with a Terrific Mix of Speakers and Topics!
A rich program and optional events are announced; topics include markets, local economies, placemaking, walkability, small town...
How Our Built Environments Impact Our Health and Well-Being More Than We Knew
New research is providing startling evidence for the importance of livable, beautiful places for personal and planetary health -- as...
Wonders of the "Urban Connectome"
Cities are like brains—immense networks of connective tissue between people, places and events. Understanding this underlying connective...
Instead of Aiming for Sustainable Urbanism, Perhaps We Should Target its Opposite?
A new paper in the journal Sustainability suggests that while the term is vague and difficult to implement, we can take more effective...
61st IMCL Conference in Cortona, Italy Will Focus on Implementation Tools, International Partnerships
Conference will gather "doers" with leading researchers, city officials and NGO heads to exchange the latest research at a critical...
61st IMCL Shaping Up with Leading Speakers, Important Topics at Timely October Conference
A focus on effective implementation for livable cities and towns, with the theme of "The Ecology of Place: Learning from Nature, Culture...
US Presidential Election Raises New Questions About Policies for Livable Cities and their Public Spaces
A 2021 roundtable discussion with Vice President Kamala Harris and Professor Vikas Mehta - an invited speaker at the next International...
IMCL Call for Abstracts closes with 60 excellent entries; NEW student Call for Abstracts extended to August 31st
Topics include food quality and food equity, placemaking, walkability and bikability, transportation reform, public spaces, cities for...
DEADLINE REMINDER for the 61st IMCL Call for Abstracts - July 31st!
One week to go as student (poster) discount rates are added to regular presenter rates; Exciting program and speakers set for the...
Cortona, Italy welcomes 61st IMCL conference team with gracious hospitality, partnership
Our advance team makes final preparations as we also announce new student poster sessions and partner member discount rates The Mayor of...
How Neighborhood "Choice Architecture" Is Locking Us Into Unsustainable Living Patterns
Insights from cognitive psychology and behavioral economics reveal the hidden controls over our daily choices -- including our ability to...
New online archive catalogs the seminal work of architect Christopher Alexander over half a century
The collection includes over 29,000 items, with 6000 items that have been digitized and are now available from the website as downloads...
How Christopher Alexander's "Fifteen Properties" can guide us to create buildings and neighborhoods that are more alive
The legendary architect's later magnum opus The Nature of Order, not as well known as his earlier work, contains a hidden treasury of...
Wiki as Pattern Language (and Why Both Have More to Do with Livable Cities than You Might Think)
An increasingly factious, mentally disrupted, and confused age needs to find a path to clarity and hope -- and it may be right in front of...
Thinking Globally, Building Locally
The next IMCL conference, in Cortona, Italy, October 29-November 1, will bring together international allies to explore and learn from...
Plans are in place for a wonderful venue for the 61st International Making Cities Livable (IMCL)
Executive Director Michael Mehaffy provides a tour of the venue as well as travel and accommodation details; conference set for late...
UPDATE on the inspiring venue for the 61st International Making Cities Livable (IMCL)
Executive Director Michael Mehaffy provides a tour of the venue as well as travel and accommodation details; conference set for late...
61st IMCL Conference Call for Abstracts, Registration are OPEN!
Join us for a very special International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) gathering in beautiful and instructive Cortona, Italy, October...
60th IMCL wraps with enthusiasm, commitment to continue collaborations in Cortona and beyond
Participants celebrate progress in making cities, towns and suburbs more livable, but recognize global challenges, and much more work to...
How can we change the "operating system for growth" to create more livable cities and towns for all?
The answer is an evolving set of tools and strategies employed by municipal governments, non-profits, practitioners and citizens - ones...
How can we apply the latest research findings to drive crucial urban reforms?
Research has clearly demonstrated the critical impact of urban structure on our present and future well-being -- but there is also a...
Final speaker roster almost set for 60th International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) conference in April
The rich lineup of frontier urban topics will include new research and case studies, and new tools and strategies for public space,...
How livable cities (and towns, and suburbs) are key to the human future
The sciences are revealing to us the power of networks - notably including urban networks. As Jane Jacobs, Christopher Alexander and...
The vital importance of a "subsidiary urbanism"
The little-known concept of subsidiarity may actually address the core of our urban challenges. Here's why. EDITOR'S NOTE: This post is...
Early Bird registration for 60th IMCL in Newport ends TODAY (February 29th)
Topics will include coastal flooding, beach erosion, public space access, resilience, climate-friendly planning, housing affordability,...
46 IMCL Newport abstracts accepted, from researchers, city leaders, practitioners and NGO heads -- representing every continent except Antarctica
A rich variety of topics will include urban resilience, affordability, equity, walkability and transportation reform, placemaking and...
We humans are modern masters at economies of scale and standardization – but here’s why we also need economies of PLACE and DIFFERENTIATION
The human project may depend on getting this relationship back into balance. EDITOR'S NOTE: This post is one of a series meant to...
Deadline Approaching - Call for Abstracts, 60th IMCL in Newport RI USA
January 31 is the due date for "Making Cities Livable: From Research Into Communication, and ACTION" NEWPORT, RI: Friends and colleagues...
60th IMCL in Newport, RI: Sharing effective new tools and strategies for the front-line challenges of cities, towns and suburbs in 2024
IMCL Executive Director and venue hosts meet to make final preparations for a memorable conference in a beautiful venue Our executive...
Never mind NIMBY and YIMBY: Why we need "QUIMBY urbanism"
Addressing affordability, displacement and homelessness challenges will require innovative new approaches. “Quality In My Back Yard”...
IMCL 2023 conference e-reader, videos, overview report are now online
More videos and other resources will be added later, as we prepare for TWO big conferences in 2024! A slide from attendee Nancy...
BIG NEWS! Save the dates for TWO great IMCL 2024 conferences in two fascinating venues
The 60th IMCL will be in Newport, RI USA, April 26-28, and the 61st IMCL will be in Cortona, Italy, October 29-November 1 The site of the...
Participants commit to ongoing collaboration for research into action at the 59th IMCL conference
The conference explored a rich set of urban topics, with partners including The Prince’s Foundation, The Congress for the New Urbanism,...
Why environmental beauty matters more than we once thought
Relegated in the modern era to the status of entertainment or luxury, the universal human experience has more recently come roaring back...
IMCL 2023 will celebrate Jane Jacobs and other pathfinders - and moreover, continue their work
With the start of the 59th International Making Cities Livable conference in one week, thought leaders will gather to advance the reforms...
All is ready for an epic 59th International Making Cities Livable!
Executive Director Michael Mehaffy reports from Poundbury and Dorchester on final preparations LEFT: Poundbury, site of the opening...
Visionary Carmel Indiana Mayor Jim Brainard reflects on his remarkable 28-year tenure
The long-time advisor and participant in the International Making Cities Livable conferences, who will speak at the upcoming Poundbury...
Tickets now available for optional IMCL reception, tours, awards dinner!
The optional Monday reception and Saturday tour are free but first-come, first-served. The Wednesday awards dinner is limited to...
Why Kevin Lynch's "Theory of Good City Form" still resonates
The lesser-known work of the famed MIT urbanist offers important lessons for livable cities even - especially - today Illustration from...
New journal issue assesses Christopher Alexander's "complex contributions"
The continuing influence of the seminal theorist, author and architect will also be explored at the IMCL 2023 Poundbury conference ABOVE:...
A photo essay of Poundbury from 2005
Scholar Besim Hakim compiled the photos shortly after the completion of the first phase in the southeast corner of the 400-acre urban...
IMCL 2023 will explore Christopher Alexander's legacy and a "post-Alexandrian agenda"
The Cambridge-educated physicist and mathematician later studied architecture, and made seminal contributions in many fields The title...
October Poundbury IMCL conference seats are going fast, and may become unavailable
Those planning to attend are encouraged to register promptly, as the small but beautiful venue could fill before the end of the...
IMCL 2023 receives 94 abstract submissions
Leading universities, practitioners and institutions are represented from around the world, submitting proposals on a wide range of...
The surprisingly important role of symmetry in healthy human environments
In the first of a series of topical posts leading up to the 2023 International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) conference, we examine new...
Last month of Call for Abstracts ahead of IMCL 2023
Topics listed in the Call for the International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) UK conference, "The Ecology of Place: From Understanding to...
Publication options announced for IMCL 2023 papers
For those seeking to publish a peer-reviewed paper and/or in a refereed journal, our upcoming conference, The Ecology of Place: From...
Report from Poundbury and London for IMCL 2023!
IMCL team makes preparations for landmark gathering in October, “The Ecology of Place: From Understanding to ACTION” Partnerships are in...
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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