Downtown Atlanta Poised to Host New Urbanists

May 12,2010

Ideal Moment for Ideal Partners? Downtown Atlanta Poised to Host New Urbanists

May 11, 2010 Atlanta GA: “Given the complexities of this new era, the time for tackling problems in isolation is over,” says Central Atlanta Progress (CAP) president A. J. Robinson. “We need comprehensive approaches. And we need partners who share our vision and who bring fresh ideas and new resources to the table.”

The timing is right, then, for a national gathering of designers, planners, engineers, and other specialists known for their comprehensive approaches to creating healthy, economically vibrant neighborhoods, corridors, and regions. And the location couldn’t be better, Downtown Atlanta.

The 18th national conference of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) (www.cnu.org) will be taking place in the Downtown, May 19-22.

It’s being planned with the help of the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adding public health goals to others the CNU has long espoused and CAP shares. CAP’s Imagine Downtown (https://www.atlantadowntown.com/initiatives/imagine-downtown) initiative echoes many of the CNU priorities having to do with integrating land use planning and transportation planning, creating a broad diversity of residential and commercial choices, and making neighborhoods safe and accessible for the full range of incomes, ages, and physical abilities.

Leading into the May event, CAP partnered with CNU officials and the local conference host committee for a series of one-day “urban labs” to demonstrate how a collaboration between CAP and CNU leaders might serve specific neighborhoods and corridors in the Downtown. Go here (https://www.atlantadowntown.com/initiatives/imagine-downtown/cnu-18) for more information on the urban labs.

“There’s no reason why we can’t use this one-time national event to add to our toolbox of urban solutions and to create new ways to make the most of these new partnerships,” says Robinson. “This is the beginning of what we hope is a continuing collaboration.”

Central Atlanta Progress was founded in 1941, is a private nonprofit community development organization providing leadership, programs and services to preserve and strengthen the economic vitality of Downtown Atlanta. With a board of directors of Downtown’s top business leaders, CAP is funded through the investment of businesses and institutions.

For more background on the Congress for the New Urbanism, go to www.cnu.org The website for the 18th annual conference is www.cnu18.org. Learn more about media registration at www.cnu18.org/presscontact.

And for more information about how CAP will build off the May CNU conference, contact: Jennifer Ball at jball@atlantadowntown.com or 404-658-1877.

For media inquires please contact Sara Milton at smilton@atlantadowntown.com or 404-658-5908.