CNU 35 Legacy Projects
More information about selected projects will be available in late 2026.
In June 2027, the Twin Cities will host the 35th annual gathering of Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU)—an interdisciplinary group of planners, designers, civic leaders, developers, and community advocates focused on building stronger, more resilient places. As part of CNU’s commitment to be a catalyst for lasting change in the region that hosts its event, the organization provides on-the-ground pro bono urban design assistance in select communities each year. Through this Legacy Project Program, CNU recruits national design firms to work directly with local partners to leverage over $150,000 in professional design assistance per project.
Legacy Projects bring the power of urban design solutions to communities that would otherwise not have access to this kind of professional expertise. Selected projects will prioritize neighborhoods that have experienced historic disinvestment, urban challenges that have been overlooked by existing planning practice, or needed change that has remained unfulfilled by conventional community investment strategies. These Projects bring real solutions to neighborhoods in a way that values and incorporates the lived experience of residents. They facilitate engagement, discussion, problem-solving, and ultimately community buy-in for the final plans.
Legacy Projects center around an intense, hands-on way of problem solving called the charrette. After weeks of research and planning, design teams gather for a 3 to 4-day active workshop where they interview community members, walk the streets, and draw solutions in real time. Each project is designed with a “start now” mentality, including implementation strategies that allow for change to be seen on-the-ground within 6 to 18 months of the workshop.
What is a Legacy Project?
The 2027 Legacy Projects will take place in the Twin Cities, a region that has long been at the center of critical national conversations about public space, equity, safety, and belonging. Projects will be selected in the Fall of 2026 with the neighborhood design workshops taking place in Spring of 2027. Final products from this process will be presented at CNU 35 in Minneapolis, June 15-18, 2027.
The appropriate scale for a legacy project varies. Past selected projects include a downtown vision plan for a small town, a concept study for a commercial corridor redesign, an incremental revitalization strategy for a historic neighborhood, a connectivity plan to help a city improve its walk/bikeability, a design for a social impact-focused mixed-use community hub, a phasing strategy for a complex mixed-use development through institutional partnership, and a master plan for a neighborhood center in a structurally-disinvested community.
Legacy Projects aim to:
- Help local partners advance a clearly defined need or opportunity in the areas of planning and design.
- Deliver usable products such as conceptual site plans, design strategies, or policy recommendations.
- Highlight effective approaches to land use, development, or infrastructure.
- Reflect CNU values such as walkability, housing choice, local identity, and responsible growth.
For more information on the types of outcomes, check out some recent past reports.