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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 moment for cities; Early Bird registration and Student Call for Abstracts ends Saturday, Aug. 31st

ABOVE: Partial listing of the rich roster of speakers scheduled for the 61st International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) conference, on "The Ecology of Place: Learning from Nature, Culture and History." (More speakers will be announced.)

CORTONA, ITALY - Partners and participants in the 61st International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) conference will represent internationally leading NGO heads, researchers, practitioners, city officials, and implementers of landmark projects for livable cities. The conference, titled "The Ecology of Place: Learning from Nature, Culture, and History," will focus on critical challenges including urban resilience, climate-friendly planning, urban health and well-being, and sustainable urbanism.

Among the participants will be a number of leaders in the US-based New Urbanism movement. Robert Davis, Town Founder of the early and iconic Seaside, Florida, will speak on the lessons of that seminal 40-year project. He and his wife Daryl Davis founded Seaside Institute, whose mission is "inspiring livable communities" (a partner in the IMCL conference). The Institute’s three core tenets are "Sustainability, Connectivity, Adaptability—working together to expand the lessons of New Urbanism and develop new strategies for a rapidly changing world."

Seaside Institute will also conduct a tour of Pienza, Italy, following the conference, led by University of Notre Dame Professor David Mayernik as well as Robert and Daryl Davis.

Other leaders of landmark projects in walkable, mixed-use, ecological developments will share their implementation lessons. Sara Bega, Town Architect of Las Catalinas, Costa Rica, will describe the detailed process of building a successful ecological development centered on healthy living and social cohesion. Liz Moule of Moule & Polyzoides will share lessons of Italian hill towns, and how they were applied to a number of iconic projects by their firm, including the seminal ecological model of Civano, Arizona. Jim Brainard, who served for 28 years as mayor of Carmel, Indiana, and Henry Mestetsky, Director of Redevelopment for the City, will describe the financial tools and strategies they used successfully, including tax increment finance, to achieve an instructive exemplar of suburban retrofit.

Victor Dover of Dover, Kohl & Partners will discuss new approaches to walkable and livable street design, and how these new approaches have been applied in new developments by their firm in the USA. Richard Erganian, who worked closely with A Pattern Language author Christopher Alexander on the popular Vineyard farmer's market project in Fresno, California, will be on hand to share lessons of Alexander's incremental development process and its real-world challenges.

Other participants will describe inspiring new projects from around the world. Robert Krasser of The Pattern Institute, based in Salzburg, Austria, will describe a new bicycle pattern language developed for Zanzibar, Africa. Ben Bolgar of The King's Foundation will discuss rapidly growing parts of Africa and other Commonwealth countries, and the tools the Foundation has developed with its international partners. Marjo Uotila will discuss groundbreaking new projects in Scandinavia, as well as other projects by chapters of the International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture and Urbanism (INTBAU), a sister charity of The King's Foundation, with 37 chapters spanning every continent around the world.

Ayanda Roji of the City of Johannesburg and the Center on African Public Spaces will discuss pioneering work to improve public spaces in Africa and around the world. Representatives of the placemaking movement will speak on their global movement and its progress. Carmelo Troccoli, Director General of the World Farmers Markets Coalition, will discuss the burgeoning movement to build farmers' markets around the world, end food deserts, provide viable ways of life for rural economies, and improve food quality, food security, and public health. Laura Petrella, Head of Planning, Finance and Economy for UN-Habitat, will describe their recent work to implement the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda, and the upcoming World Urban Forum in Cairo, Egypt.

Representatives of the City of Cortona, our gracious hosts, will describe their work to diversity the local economy in the wake of the COVID pandemic, and a declining resident population that is all too common in Italian towns -- and in rural towns around the world. A movement to provide for "left-behind citizens" is growing around the world -- and in an age of growing threats to urban well-being, and growing resentment translating into political movements, the issue could not be more important.

These and many other city leaders will share their lessons in a unique peer-to-peer gathering of international, interdisciplinary scholars, practitioners, officials and NGO heads. The IMCL conferences were begun in 1985 by a Viennese medical sociologist and a British architectural scholar. Henry and Suzanne Lennard were passionate about sharing the best international lessons to create a new generation of livable, durable, ecological cities, towns and suburbs.

Now, at a time of rising threats to urban and planetary well-being, the agenda of effective urban reform could not be more urgent. Please join us for an inspiring exploration of critical urban issues, in an instructive and beautiful locale.

Please also help spread the word that Early Bird registration ends August 31st, and a special Student Call for Abstracts also runs through August 31st. Student presenters, who can present posters of their work, are invited to submit a no-obligation abstract at this link: https://www.imcl.online/cfa-cortona

More information about the conference is available here: https://www.imcl.online/2024-cortona. Thanks to all our conference partners, sponsors and participating organizations (below and to be announced). We hope you'll join us!

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 and History"... in an inspiring and instructive region of Italy, at a delightful time of year

ABOVE: Scenes from the beautiful venue and surrounding hill town of the 61st International Making Cities Livable (IMCL).

CORTONA, ITALY - The 61st International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) will be held here October 29-November 1, 2024, with a focus on the specific challenges and resources for building and rebuilding livable cities and towns. Topics will include walkability and bikability, transportation reform, public spaces, climate-friendly planning, food quality and food equity, placemaking, cities for children, nature-based solutions, regional economies, lessons of Italian hill towns, and much more.

In addition to plenary and keynote speakers, 54 abstracts have been accepted for breakout sessions on a rich variety of livability topics. Partners in the conference include UN-Habitat, The King's Foundation (UK), the Congress for the New Urbanism, the World Farmers' Markets Coalition, several universities, and our gracious hosts, the City of Cortona.

Speakers will include global leaders in livable and sustainable urbanism. Ben Bolgar, M.V.O., of the King's Foundation in London will speak about new research on walkability and health. David Brain, Ph.D., Senior Research Associate at the University of Notre Dame, will speak on "Place Networks by Design: Building a Civic Ecology of Place." Kostas Mouratidis, Ph.D. of the University of Copenhagen will discuss fascinating and important new research on urban form, health and and well-being. Vikas Mehta, Ph.D. of the University of Cincinnati will speak on US policy on walkable public spaces and transportation, and report on his discussion on this topic with presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

Global leaders in practice also will speak, including Victor Dover, a leader in walkable street design, and principal of Dover Kohl & Partners; Jim Brainard, long-time mayor of the remarkable suburban retrofit success story, Carmel, Indiana; Bill Lennertz, founder of the National Charrette Institute; and Liz Moule, a co-founder of the Congress for the New Urbanism, and principal of Moule & Polyzoides. Also speaking will be current CNU president Mallory Baches, on the work of the CNU on diverse and affordable housing in the context of livable cities and towns.

Speakers will also discuss new research findings on urban health, well-being and user experience, and the implications for practice and policy. They will include Alexandros Lavdas, Ph.D., Senior Researcher at the Institute for Biomedicine, EURAC in Bolzano, Italy; Ann Sussman and Abigail Sekely of The Human Architecture and Planning Institute; and Cleo Valentine, researcher at the University of Cambridge, who will discuss new medical findings on the health impacts of architecture and urban form.

The conference will also offer tours of the region, including a walking tour of Cortona, and a day tour of splendid Pienza, Italy offered by our partner, Seaside Institute. The tour will be led by David Mayernik, an Associate Professor at the University of Notre Dame in Rome. He is a Fellow of @theamericanacademy in Rome, and the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts,Manufactures, & Commerce at RSA, and author of the book Timeless Cities: An Architect's Reflections on Renaissance Italy.

This gathering will offer an excellent opportunity to share with global leaders the latest work in urban well-being, ecology, diversity, connectivity, and quality of life, and the tools and strategies needed to make effective progress. We will also examine the case studies of Italian and European small towns and their agrarian regions, and their challenges and opportunities as lessons for other places around the world. A number our our attendees will be participating in the World Urban Forum in Cairo, Egypt the next week, held by our partner UN-Habitat, and the IMCL conference will therefore serve as a fitting preparatory event.

NOTE TO STUDENTS! The Call for Abstracts for student presentations and posters will remain open until August 31st. Student presenters (with ID) are able to register at a significant discount, and can also take advantage of single-day registrations. There are also scholarship funds available through a number of outside organizations, including the International Journal of Geo-Information's 2024 Travel Award (link here). You can submit a no-obligation abstract for the IMCL conference here: https://www.imcl.online/cfa-cortona

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The International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) conference series was begun in 1985 by a Viennese medical sociologist and a British architectural and urban scholar who met at the University of California, Berkeley. Henry and Suzanne Lennard were passionate about sharing the best evidence-based lessons of great cities and towns to improve the quality of life for all. To do it, they brought together many of the world’s most innovative and successful mayors, planners, economic development specialists, designers, developers, NGO officials, and researchers and scholars.

In the years since its founding, the IMCL has become a unique, intimate, peer-to-peer gathering of global city leaders and researchers, typically hosted in beautiful and instructive case-study locales. While we recognize that online education is an increasingly important professional development component, the IMCL believes there is no substitute for a component of face-to-face and on-the-ground immersive learning, personally sharing effective tools and strategies in small group exchanges to drive positive change.

MORE INFORMATION: https://www.imcl.online/

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 Making Cities Livable (IMCL) conference - sheds light on potential policies and their impacts for cities in the USA and beyond

ABOVE: Video of the roundtable discussion with Professor Vikas Mehta (at left) and Vice President Kamala Harris (at right), as well as Senator Sherrod Brown, Chair of the US Senate's Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee (to the left of the vice president); Jill Meyer, President and CEO of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber (to the right of Vikas Mehta); and (not shown,) Darryl Haley, Chief Executive Officer & General Manager for the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority/Metro; Eddie Koen, President & CEO of the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio; and Troy Miller, President, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 627 (Cincinnati Metro Area). Recorded by WLWT Television. Full file: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeD0T0HKeXw

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The replacement of President Joe Biden with Vice President Kamala Harris as the presumptive Democratic nominee in the upcoming US presidential election has some wondering about how a new administration might prioritize livable city issues, including public space, walkability and transit. A strong clue comes from a 2021 roundtable discussion with, among others, Urbanism Professor Vikas Mehta at the University of Cincinnati, who is also a scheduled speaker at the upcoming 61st International Making Cities Livable conference in Cortona, Italy, October 29-November 1, 2024.

Former President Trump, the other US major-party candidate in this November's election, has expressed a commitment to upgrade urban infrastructure, and also emphasized traditional architecture in government buildings as a way to promote livability and beauty in urban areas. (In one notable case, following overwhelming bipartisan poll results on citizen preferences, the Trump administration developed an executive order “Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture,” assisted by IMCL participant Justin Shubow and colleagues at the National Civic Art Society.)

Less pleasing to some urban activists, the Trump administration also proposed significant budget cuts to federal transit programs, including efforts to eliminate the Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program. The CIG is seen as a central source of funding for major transit projects including new rail lines and bus rapid transit systems. According to Transportation For America, the Trump administration also favored funding for highways and road infrastructure over public transit, reflecting a broader emphasis on automobile-centric infrastructure investments.

The Biden administration, known for its pro-transit policies, secured the largest-ever federal investment in public transit, with over $20.5 billion allocated for transit systems in 2024 alone. According to the website transportation.gov, this funding has supported the expansion, modernization, and maintenance of public transit systems across the country, including upgrading stations, tracks, and other facilities. The Biden administration's approach, according to the site, reflects a broader commitment to climate-friendly transportation options, and improving accessibility and equity in public transit.

Vice President Harris is widely expected to continue those policies. Less clear is how a new Harris administration might prioritize public space and walkability as no less essential components of city livability. A strong indicator was provided in a 2021 roundtable meeting on transit policy in Cincinnati, Ohio, in which Professor Mehta spoke to the evidently receptive vice president. An excerpt:

VIKAS MEHTA: When we think about transit, we think about engineering technologies, logistics – the “hard” infrastructure. But there's another side to it, which is really the “soft” infrastructure of transit. And that goes to the point about livability. There is the element of all of the public space that's right outside our private property, to the transit. And that's really, really critical...

The best part about it is that if we invest in the soft infrastructure, we are automatically investing in our neighborhoods. We're automatically investing in a sense of thinking about this as a complete mobility strategy.

Thinking about the public space immediately in our neighborhoods is a public health need. What is the condition of our sidewalks and streets? We need those to walk, to exercise, to socialize. But they are also part of the transit network. Public transit, in fact, IS public space. And if you think about in today's polarizing society, we need to think about the value of that, the input of that into a place of dialogue.

Now this might seem extremely academic, but it's real. This is where you want to be able to see people who are different from you. People who dress differently, who look different. Because this is critical for a democratic society. And it's critical for a society that is empathetic...

KAMALA HARRIS: Well, this has been a very insightful conversation, and I have taken copious notes!

...The point that you have made, Professor, about public spaces, I think is so important. And I really appreciate the point that you're making also, about thinking of the realities of sidewalks, streetlights, as being part of the transit ecosystem. If that parent, if that mother or father, can't walk that stroller because the sidewalks are uneven or falling apart, and she's got a child in a stroller and a toddler – well, that's going to mean that that will take at least twice as much time for her to get up, get down and hopefully have somebody help her with the stroller to get to the bus stop...

Infrastructure, you know, is a fancy word for just, how do you get to where you need to go! (Laughs.) That's really what it's about. How do you get to where you need to go? Hopefully without struggle, and with some level of ease. Where people need to go to work, their children need to go to school, they need to go to the grocery store, they need to go to the place where they worship, they need to go to a sports game from time to time...

So I appreciate you all for this conversation, and all the work you do. And I plan to highlight it. And of course the president thanks you for the work that you're doing -- it's a great model for what our country will and can do. Thank you.

A segment of the video is embedded above, and the lightly edited transcript of the segment is provided below.

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Transcript of Cincinnati Roundtable with VP Kamala Harris, Vikas Mehta et al.

April 30, 2021

VP Harris: Thank you all. I appreciate you all for doing the work that you do, for your expertise, and for the discussion we're about to have. I hope to be able to get in depth about some of the issues that you all are addressing

…

Senator Brown: Professor Mehta teaches urban issues at this great University, the University of Cincinnati. Thank you for the way you weigh in.

…

Professor Mehta, you've looked at, probably more than anybody in the room, the big picture and what [transit] does for a community. How does that transform the city's economy, and the city’s -- more importantly really -- its quality of life?

Vikas Mehta: Thank you. Senator Brown, Madam Vice President. This is a great opportunity and we really appreciate that you're bringing the discussion, not about just transportation, but about transit. And I think that's really really critical.

So when we think about transit, we think about engineering technologies, logistics – the “hard” infrastructure. But there's another side to it, which is really the “soft” infrastructure of transit. And that goes to the point about livability. There is the element of all of the public space that's right outside our private property, to the transit. And that's really, really critical.

What is the condition of those sidewalks? What is the condition of the crosswalks? Are those lit? Can a single mother with a stroller and a child in tow get to the transit stop safely? What about somebody who is vision impaired? These things are equally important. I just call it the soft infrastructure of transit, to be able to make this thing work in which we invest billions of dollars.

As an urbanist for me, transit is not just technological. It is social, it is psychological and experiential. And we need to think about the full total experience, both technologically and from a community perspective, from door to door. And from that door to door, one piece of it is the hardwired or hard infrastructure of transit: buses, trains, all of that. But the other part is really the soft infrastructure of community – of the neighborhood we live in. And we cannot separate these things.

So we often think about transit as a product, and transit is not a product. It is a system and it is an ecology, which means that transit is a piece of all the mobility, about, how do we get anything that, Madam Vice President, you talked about, how do we get to anything, whether it's shopping, going to work, getting the child to a soccer game. All of that can be linked into our experience of transit and the urban sort of living.

So integrating transit into the urban development is really, really key to our neighborhoods, and that is different from just thinking about transit itself. This has also become very critical in this time of the pandemic, as you mentioned. Thinking about the public space immediately in our neighborhoods is a public health need. What is the condition of our sidewalks and streets? We need those to walk, to exercise, to socialize. But they are also part of the transit network.

And another context, which is really, really critical to us in the US – and we really appreciate that you're bringing this to the table – we have to modernize our transit. We cannot think about transit as a service, something that we need to provide for the poorest workforce. That is one approach, but it's not going to get us to compete in this world. We have to think about transit that is a public good for everybody. It has to be cool. It has to be sexy. Everybody should want it. It shouldn't be about well, we're serving the poor and the workforce that is outside of the cities to get to it and reduce the time. That is not going to be our strategy.

And we really appreciate the ambitious plan that are coming from the Biden-Harris administration, and we need to capitalize on this. We need to really change our thinking about that and think about it really, really holistically.

My final point, certainly public transit has a huge component and big ramifications for the environment. But I want to touch on a different point. Public transit runs in public space. On our streets above, below. Public transit, in fact, IS public space. And if you think about in today's polarizing society, we need to think about the value of that, the input of that into a place of dialogue.

Senator Brown: Well said.

…

VP Harris: Well, this has been a very insightful conversation, and I have taken copious notes! I think that what this conversation has revealed are the many dimensions, and therefore the many people in the various capacities of their lives, how they are impacted by public transportation… And what this can do an investment in public transit.

That is about job creation, building up the economy, building up productivity building on the cultural institutions of a community, which always have an impact on the well-being and the quality of life of any community. Access to arts, access to sports, access to those things, and hopefully that are public spaces, Professor, that create a quality of life, that every person should be entitled to receive.

The point that you have made, Professor, about public spaces, I think is so important. And I really appreciate the point that you're making also, about thinking of the realities of sidewalks, streetlights, as being part of the transit ecosystem. If that parent, if that mother or father, can't walk that stroller because the sidewalks are uneven or falling apart, and she's got a child in a stroller and a toddler – well, that's going to mean that that will take at least twice as much time for her to get up, get down and hopefully have somebody help her with the stroller to get to the bus stop. Lights! And what that means in terms of the safety for both the workers, and the folks who use the system.

So I think this is this has been an incredible group to really highlight all of the facets and all of the relevancy of an investment in public transportation, which again – infrastructure, and the chairman and I've talked about this – infrastructure, you know, is a fancy word for just, how do you get to where you need to go? (Laughs.)

That's really what it's about. How do you get to where you need to go? Hopefully without struggle, and with some level of ease. Where people need to go to work, their children need to go to school, they need to go to the grocery store, they need to go to the place where they worship, they need to go to a sports game from time to time.

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The 61st International Making Cities Livable conference, on "The Ecology of Place: Learning from Nature, Culture and History," will be held in beautiful Cortona, Italy, October 29 to November 1, 2024. For more information: https://www.imcl.online/2024-cortona