​FIRST DAY, Monday, July 6, 2026:

 

9:00   Rīgas Rātsnams (Riga City Hall):

           Welcome and Introduction to

           Riga and Latvia

           Michael Mehaffy, IMCL ED

           Viesturs Kleinbergs, Riga Mayor 

           Pēteris Ratas, Riga City Architect

 

10:00 Study Tour of the Old City

          Artūrs Mengots and Colleagues

          Tour departs from Riga City Hall

 

12:00 Lunch Break (on your own)

          Lido Vērmanītis

          (or nearby of your choice)

 

13:30 Study Tour of the Art Nouveau

          District

          Artūrs Mengots and Colleagues

          Tour resumes in front of Lido

          Vērmanītis

 

15:30 Study Tour of the Museum of

           the Occupation

 

16:30 Study Tour of the House of

           the Blackheads

 

17:30 Evening Reception: House of

          the Blackheads

          Includes welcoming remarks

 

19:30 End (Dinner on your own)

​

​

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

 

11:00  Buses to Jelgava (from Central

          Market tour)

          More opportunity for discussion

          and reflection

 

12:00  Arrive at Hotel Jelgava; Lunch Break

           Those staying in Jelgava will 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

         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

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

Robin Simon Conibear, former Development Manager, Poundbury UK

 

12:40 PANEL     

 

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)

 

Health Through Housing Mobility Labs: Designing 10-Minute Walksheds Around Supportive Housing

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

 

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

 

Beauty and Neuroscience: The Nine Key Elements of Beauty

Guy Courtois, President, Pour une Renaissance Urbaine, Meudon, France

 

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   Beauty and Neuroscience: The Nine Key Elements of Beauty

Guy Courtois, Pour Une Renaissance Urbaine

 

9:40   New Frontiers of the 15-Minute City

Devon McAslan, Chalmers University of Technology

 

10:10 The Original Green and the Original Livable City

Steve Mouzon, The Urban Guild

 

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 Operationalizing Pattern Languages and Form Languages

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. 

 

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 & Founder, ALPS Landscape Atelier, SIA, Riga, Latvia and Māra Reča, Coordinator for International Projects, City of Riga

 

 

 

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. 

 

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   Tall Buildings: Case Study of Externality Costs

Rachelle Alterman, The Technion

 

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

 

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 Markets and Public Spaces Around the World

Kristie Daniel, HealthBridge

 

15:30 Building a Global Network for Livable Traditions

Marjo Uotila, INTBAU

 

16:00 Coffee and Networking

 

16:30 Presentation of Workshop Results and Final Discussion

 

17:30 Closing Reception

 

19:00 End