New Urbanism at Albany Roundtable

Thumbnail image for john norquistThe Albany Rountable's annual meeting next Wednesday (May 23) at the University Club will feature John Norquist, president and CEO of the Congress for the New Urbanism. CNU describes itself as an org "promoting walkable, mixed-use neighborhood development, sustainable communities and healthier living conditions."

Before heading up CNU, Norquist was mayor of Milwaukee during 90s and early 2000s. During his tenure he made a successful push to replace the city's Park East Freeway with a boulevard. He also wrote a book called The Wealth of Cities, staking out a position that doesn't necessarily fit on the standard political spectrum: safety-focused, pro school choice, fiscally conservative, urbanist, pro public transit, and anti-sprawl.

Tickets for the Albany Roundtable talk are $35, and an RSVP is required by May 18 (this Friday).

Earlier on AOA:
+ "The Life and Death of Urban Highways"
+ The University Club

photo: Flickr user Center for Neighborhood Technology

Comments

I just got back from the Congress for the New Urbanism in West Palm Beach. It was another amazing congress with some of the greatest urban thinkers out there.

James Howard Kunstler and I actually recorded a live audience podcast with John Norquist during the conference. I'll be releasing that sometime over the next few weeks. He's worth listening to.

I was honored to be asked to be a speaker for one of the breakout sessions at CNU this year and I took the opportunity to speak about the world class urban fabric of Troy, NY.

Chuck Marohn, of Strong Towns, was for some reason motivated to snap a nice shot of me at the podium with Neil Grabowsky's amazing photo of downtown Troy on the screen behind me:

http://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2012/5/11/cnu-20-day-3.html (scroll down)

I was also thrilled to be interviewed about Troy, NY for pieces to run in both MiamiTransit and Next American City magazine.

The New Urbanists are really taking an interest in our region (and in Troy in particular) and I'm honored to play a very small part in that.

I'll be releasing lots of original content recorded during the CNU on The KunstlerCast over the next few weeks. Tune in if you're interested. And definitely catch John Norquist while he's in town.

P.S. Richard Florida was the keynote speaker at CNU. He gave essentially the same talk that he gave when he came to Albany a few years ago... No substance at all.

I am going to come there from Hartford to see it, that guy is the coolest. People with real political ideas and real ideas to help solve our problem are rare and impressive.

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