Friends and Colleagues, Congress delivery feels like a never ending project. As soon as we close the doors on one, we are running in service of another, all while having a third (or fourth!) on the back burner. But, this constant work is in service of delivering an incredibly important part of CNU’s reason of existing: it is our prime opportunity to convene, educate, and collaborate with our membership; to demonstrate our values as an organization and lead progress across the movement in these areas; and to call on the power of our multidisciplinary attendees to unite, solve problems, and push our collective practice of New Urbanism forward. It’s not a conference, or a club, or dog and pony show. It’s an intentional, curated gathering - and everything we do in putting it together is deliberate. CNU staff at CNU 31 If you’ve been here a few years - or decades - you may have heard tell of the Congress Rethink. What started as a member-led effort to reform Congress delivery in service of what I’ve described above is now an ongoing and incremental evolution of our organization’s largest program. Incrementalism here is key. You would have seen small bits of change last year in Charlotte - efforts to elevate Main Stage conversations to set the tone and topics for each days’ sessions; ongoing refinement of session formats and delivery to reduce the feeling of being “talked at”; workshops that provided all attendees with the opportunity to work together on an issue that was impacting the local host city; and a Congress Focus that provided a foundational problem space for every discussion. All of these things will be in Cincinnati as well - improved, evolved, and elevated. Particularly, I’m excited about: - 17 foundational and intermediate classes creating a new “New Urbanism Starter Course <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.cnu.org/sites/default/files/CNU*2032*20NU*20Starter*20Course.pdf__;JSUlJQ!!KOmxaIYkRmNA0A!QLP7ezDtnjB4T4mCX_te3-EN0mzC-pk6NN7EusWLtQC6K7XRL5Qj3K93nLWsQfmv94Zxh40g3KBFjlO1nEeK$ >” that takes our old model of core / 101 sessions and elevates them with the intention to combine a deeper understanding of our founding principles with the focus on Restorative Urbanism. Those new to CNU and those who have been coming for years can all benefit from this comprehensive improvement. - Over 85 classes and meetings <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.cnu.org/sites/default/files/Placed*20Sessions*20-*20CNU*2032.pdf__;JSUlJQ!!KOmxaIYkRmNA0A!QLP7ezDtnjB4T4mCX_te3-EN0mzC-pk6NN7EusWLtQC6K7XRL5Qj3K93nLWsQfmv94Zxh40g3KBFjq-V_cxv$ >that touch climate, housing, transportation, zoning, and design. The sessions, which will be added to and refined over the next two weeks, are organized by topic and day - so that the Main Stage discussions kick-off a day-long conversation that attendees can track and build on throughout their sessions. - Two opportunities for workshopping together, including a comprehensive look at the ways the design and development of the built environment and its supportive systems fail to be considered in climate action planning, including the Green Cincinnati Plan <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/oes/climate/climate-protection-green-cincinnati-plan/__;!!KOmxaIYkRmNA0A!QLP7ezDtnjB4T4mCX_te3-EN0mzC-pk6NN7EusWLtQC6K7XRL5Qj3K93nLWsQfmv94Zxh40g3KBFjvDxT6mu$ > to build a model climate action plan that includes improvements to (and measurements from) the built environment - as well as a workshop to develop a Restorative Urbanism Handbook that continues to build our collective toolkit for undoing harm caused by planning and policy. - 30 tours of Cincinnati <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.cnu.org/cnu32/tours__;!!KOmxaIYkRmNA0A!QLP7ezDtnjB4T4mCX_te3-EN0mzC-pk6NN7EusWLtQC6K7XRL5Qj3K93nLWsQfmv94Zxh40g3KBFjnJbxnfX$ >and the surrounding region that provide deeper context for understanding the focus on Restorative Urbanism. - Expanded opportunities for networking, socializing, and professional growth throughout the week - from those you expect (ENU’s Mentorship Huddles and topical happy hours) to those you may have missed in recent years (rumors of a CNU Midwest-sponsored Debate Night are bubbling). - And there’s still time to help shape the program: Short Format Presentations <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://1r0afn8bk1j.typeform.com/to/Qn9E9kFO__;!!KOmxaIYkRmNA0A!QLP7ezDtnjB4T4mCX_te3-EN0mzC-pk6NN7EusWLtQC6K7XRL5Qj3K93nLWsQfmv94Zxh40g3KBFjlD1cMsj$ > are currently being curated on a rolling basis, providing opportunities for new voices and those who did not get sessions selected to present and get feedback on their ideas. Plus, the hotel is a stunner! Photo credit: Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza Mallory and I are dedicated to delivering the most educational, practice-expanding, connections-building Congress each year in service of the mission of CNU and our members (existing and future). This year, the programmatic components of CNU 32 demonstrate how this steadfast dedication combined with a joint understanding of our goals results in a Congress that is more than re-thought. It’s elevated and evolved. And I hope that you’ll join us. <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.cnu.org/cnu32/registration__;!!KOmxaIYkRmNA0A!QLP7ezDtnjB4T4mCX_te3-EN0mzC-pk6NN7EusWLtQC6K7XRL5Qj3K93nLWsQfmv94Zxh40g3KBFjn0p9yjR$ > Best, Margaret Gattis Executive Director [log in to unmask] -=-=- Congress for the New Urbanism - 1720 N Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20036, United States This email was sent to [log in to unmask] To stop receiving emails: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://members.cnu.org/unsubscribe__;!!KOmxaIYkRmNA0A!QLP7ezDtnjB4T4mCX_te3-EN0mzC-pk6NN7EusWLtQC6K7XRL5Qj3K93nLWsQfmv94Zxh40g3KBFjuH5zfAV$ -=-=- Created with NationBuilder - https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://nationbuilder.com/__;!!KOmxaIYkRmNA0A!QLP7ezDtnjB4T4mCX_te3-EN0mzC-pk6NN7EusWLtQC6K7XRL5Qj3K93nLWsQfmv94Zxh40g3KBFjjtVDQab$ ######################################################################## Access the MARY-ALFORD Home Page and Archives: http://listserv.alachuacounty.us/scripts/wa.exe?A0=MARY-ALFORD Unsubscribe from the MARY-ALFORD List: http://listserv.alachuacounty.us/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=MARY-ALFORD ########################################################################