40th International

Making Cities Livable Conference on

Building Cities for Community & Identity

Organized with
the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture

University of Notre Dame London Centre,
1 Suffolk Street, Trafalgar Square, London
June 13-17, 2004

Co-sponsors include: the City of London, Royal Institute of British Architects, The Civic Trust, the University of Venice Department of Urban Planning, & the British Medical Journal.

Keynote speakers: Robert Adam, George Ferguson, Edoardo Salzano, Theodore Sarbin, John Simpson, Sven Von Ungern-Sternberg, et al.

Click here to download the London program.

"I passionately believe that the human spirit has a profound need for a sense of belonging and community. That quest for identity, something that is intrinsically of a human scale, is bound intimately to that which we build."

HRH The Prince of Wales

A preliminary version of the program is now available: Click here to download

Plenary & Panel Sessions

Traditional town planning & civic values
Street, square and block; sense of place; human scale, mixed use urban fabric; respecting local identity. Case studies & exhibits.
The square as community catalyst
Designs for successful squares; details that matter; the role of markets and festivals; the history of the square from agora to market place; new & restored squares. Case studies & exhibits.
Regional architecture & urban identity
The DNA of the city; architectural identity of city and neighborhood; new projects. Case studies & exhibits.
Successful development models
Urban village, “village in the city", new urban neighborhoods, new urbanism, traditional downtown models. Case studies & exhibits.
Balancing transportation modes
Emphasizing pedestrian, bicycle and public transportation; transportation planning to promote sociability & access. New techniques.
The “city of short distances"
Land use planning for the cellular city; urban fabric for walkability. Case studies & exhibits.
Community architecture & design
"Methods for empowering the users; from buildings to neighborhoods; role of the university. Case studies & exhibits.
Classical & modern architecture
Timeless & contemporary values; appropriate uses; contextual issues. Case studies & exhibits.
Innovative mixed use projects
Achieving mixed use; reviving traditional urban fabric; accommodating affordable housing & small businesses. Case studies & exhibits.
How the city shapes identity
City form & identity; heritage & sense of belonging; involvement in community events; building identity.
Designing cities for the well-being of children
Urban design that facilitates social development, cooperation, self esteem, curiosity & autonomy; what children learn from the city. Evaluating new neighborhoods and towns for healthy development of children & youth.
Ecological & social sustainability
Defining social sustainability; compatibility among social and ecological goals.
Strategies for combating urban sprawl
Regional planning tools; role of transportation priorities. Successful case studies.
Teaching the livable city
Teaching the city in an age of sprawl; value of direct experience; studio courses: designing urban fabric & squares; innovative curricula.

Special Workshops:

Celebrating the European square (with the City of London & European Mayors)
Maintaining the square’s historic role; the threatened European square (loss of civic-functions, overspecialization). World Squares Exhibit.
The built environment & the healthy city (with the British Medical Journal)
Influence of the built environment on physical, social and mental health.