Urbanists from across the country are in Cincinnati this week for two national conferences: the Strong Towns national gathering and the Congress for the New Urbanism.
Strong Towns Program Director Rachel Quednau says last year’s event had participants from Canada and almost every U.S. state.
"We have a lot of really active Strong Towns members in a local Strong Towns group in Cincinnati," Quednau said. "We know there's a lot of really positive changes happening in Cincinnati right now, not to mention it's just a beautiful, historic city with a lot to learn from."
The Strong Towns national gathering is Tuesday and Wednesday. Quednau says they're partnering with the 32nd annual Congress for the New Urbanism, which starts Wednesday.
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Both groups advocate for more walkable and sustainable cities. CNU President Mallory Baches says Cincinnati was chosen for the event because of its rich history of neighborhood design.
"Cincinnati talks about its 52 neighborhoods very, very proudly," Baches said. "And that is the sort of vision that new urbanism is built off of — the idea that your individual experience is enhanced by the health and quality of the neighborhood that you live in."
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Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval will speak at CNU Thursday morning about connecting housing and transportation investment. Pureval’s proposal to reform Cincinnati zoning code, called "Connected Communities," will be up for a vote at City Council's Planning Commission Friday.
