Magnificent milestone: CNU’s largest Congress is first to recognize chapters

In addition to offering engaging speakers, lively debates, and abundant opportunities for new urbanists to learn from each other, the Twelfth Congress for the New Urbanism in June distinguished itself as the largest Congress ever, drawing 1,370 participants to Chicago’s Palmer House Hilton. It was also the first Congress held since the formation of four CNU chapters this past year. CNU welcomed these chapters with a special opening night ceremony in which chapter representatives and members of the CNU Board signed documents granting the groups official chapter status. CNU Board Member Jacky Grimshaw, Board Chair Hank Dittmar, and CEO and President John Norquist led the session in the hotel’s Grand Ballroom. They praised the four new chapters – CNU Florida, CNU New England, CNU DC, and the Association for New Urbanism in Pennsylvania — for being at the head of a trend that will make New Urbanism a more effective movement. Norquist said the emergence of chapters and the record Congress attendance accompanied real progress in taking on sprawl and advancing urbanism. He quoted Yale Professor Vincent Scully in saying New Urbanism has returned needed attention to the man-made environment as a whole: “We once knew quite well how to shape it and are now learning how to do so again.” CNU Florida co-founder Victor Dover of Dover Kohl & Partners spoke on behalf of his group, CNU’s first and largest chapter. “We’re determined to prove that chapters will be very useful to CNU and its members,” he said. “Chapters will bring the knowledge networks and resources of CNU to bear closer to home, in the communities where New Urbanists do their work.” Rick Hall, Jim Murley, and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk joined Dover in the ceremony, with Marcela Camblor signing the document afterward. others urged to form chapters CNU Board Member Stephanie Bothwell led the CNU DC delegation to the stage and encouraged members everywhere to form chapters of their own. “Just do it. Just do it,” Bothwell repeated. “People sense that forming a chapter is a difficult thing to do, but in fact they’ve done much of the work already,” she elaborated later. “They already know people in their region. It only takes 20 dedicated members, but that turns out to be just the tip of the iceberg.” Joining Bothwell on stage were Lee Sobel, Dhiru Thadani, John Torti, and Michael Watkins. Tom Comitta of Thomas Comitta Associates spoke for the Pennsylvania chapter. Referring to Pennsylvania’s historical role as the keystone, providing balance to the original states of the Republic, he said “We are going to attempt to balance the new urbanism with the old urbanism, and we look forward to hosting CNU XV in Philadelphia in 2007.” Jason Duckworth, Jennifer Hurley, Will Selman, and Sam Sherman also represented the chapter in the ceremony. Russ Preston of Cornish Associates spoke for CNU New England and said the youth of the representatives joining him on stage – Cyrus Beer, John Ford, George Proakis, and Kara Wilbur – was a bright sign for New Urbanism. Like Dover and members of other chapters, the New Englanders offered to assist those interested in forming additional new chapters. Ford had a group from Michigan take him up on the offer immediately, during one of the salons at the Congress. “They saw the ceremony and decided to move forward in forming a chapter,” says Ford, who shared practical advice on first steps such as incorporation and establishing a list-serve to link members. “I said, ‘If we can do it, so can you.’ ”