Blog

Did you miss the conference in Ottawa but wish you could still read the papers and view the slideshows? Perhaps you attended the conference but didn't get a chance to see all the presentations and wish you could fill in the gaps. In either case, the eConference is your ticket!

Mayor Rui Moreira: An exemplary role model

“I cannot conceive of managing a city that is prosperous, but only for some. I pledged that I would govern in an inclusive manner, using the attraction of investment and access to culture as instruments of social cohesion and true democracy, empowering and networking with local stakeholders for maximum impact.”
– Mayor Rui Moreira [1]

Mayor Moreira of Porto has provided an exemplary model in his first term for how to make our cities more healthy and livable for all. As his uniquely beautiful city becomes better known, he has fought hard to protect all his citizens, especially the poor, from displacement by gentrification and “touristification”.

Raves for the Ottawa Conference

This past conference was the best one I have attended in nearly 30 years.

Ken Mech, MCIP, RPP
Manager of Current Planning, City of Niagara Falls, Ontario

Fabulous conference. I was so delighted to be part of it and to have the participation of my company Stantec. We all thoroughly enjoyed the week and the sessions were superb.

Nancy Meloshe
Principal, Community Development, Stantec, Ottawa

Thank you!

Many thanks to everyone who helped make the 55^thIMCL Conference on Healthy, 10-Minute Neighborhoods such a resounding success! To the city of Ottawa, speakers, panelists, sponsors, competitors, tour leaders, volunteers, and participants - you all contributed magnificently!

The Ottawa Conference is over, but if you would still like to access the conference web pages (speakers, program, sponsors, etc.) please click here. These pages will still be available for a while.

The electronic version of the Conference will be available online for six months. If you were registered you will have received a coupon code to access it for free. If you missed the conference you can now purchase it to see the presentations and read the papers.

Designing Healthy Living, Dr. Tam to Speak in Ottawa

Dr. Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, urges Canadian cities to improve the nation’s health by reshaping the built environment. Ottawa will host the 55^thInternational Making Cities Livable Conference on Healthy 10-Minute Neighborhoods, May 14-18, assembling an international roster of outstanding speakers to examine how best to ensure that within a 10-minute walk or bike ride, most residents can access community gathering places, shops, schools, parks, services, places of work, and public transit.

"The Magic Seeds of a Healthy, Livable and Walkable Community;" George Ferguson to Speak...

George Ferguson, CBE, PPRIBA, RWA, a British politician, former architect and entrepreneur, who served as the first elected Mayor of Bristol (2012 to 2016) will give a keynote speech titled Enabling the Urban Village at the upcoming 55th International Making Cities Livable Conference on Healthy, 10-Minute Neighborhoods in Ottawa, May 14-18.

We Can Build Beautiful, Human-Scale Cities! Mayor Brainard to Speak in Ottawa

Cities throughout Canada are growing rapidly. For the sake of citizens’ health and to slow the effects of climate change the biggest challenge is to transform auto-dependent suburban sprawl into walkable neighborhoods. Mayor James Brainard of Carmel, Indiana will speak at the 55^thIMCL Conference on Healthy, 10-Minute Neighborhoods, in Ottawa, May 14-18, about how Carmel is achieving this goal.

Urbanity in the gothic style

Yale’s new Benjamin Franklin and Pauli Murray residential colleges, designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, has just won the Charles Bulfinch Architectural Award in the “institutional” category. Congratulations!

Marlena Happach: “This is the end of the big investments”

Marlena Happach is making a lasting impact as the Director of Architecture and Spatial Planning in Warsaw, Poland. Driven by her belief that quality of the city’s public places determines quality of life, she is working to “make more space for pedestrians”, “increase green in the city”, “create multifunctional, attractive spaces”, and emphasize the human scale that residents clearly prefer. “This is the end of the big investments, we want to start making little changes…” says Happach.

A deadline is coming up, so act now to register for the “Healthy, 10-Minute Neighborhoods Conference”. This is going to be a spectacular event, with participants and speakers from around the world, passionate to share their findings, experience, and best plans for creating sustainable, sociable, green and walkable complete neighborhoods, and to learn from others dedicated to these ideals.

Are you looking for a speaker?

Suzanne Lennard is available to speak, or as a Consultant on Making Cities Healthy and Livable, Child-friendly Communities, Public Places, etc.

"The conference was one of the most interesting and genuinely useful for information gathering that I’ve been to. The different backgrounds of the participants addressing the same issues was the key."

Joe Anglin Glatting Lopez Kercher Anglin

"A wonderful Conference. I truly believe this is the best Conference on cities."

Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr., City of Charleston

"The most important continuous conference dialogue on making the world's cities and towns more livable for all of their inhabitants."

Dr. Sven von Ungern-Sternberg, Governor, State of South Baden, Germany

"Congratulations for your extraordinary and successful effort. The Conference holds a magnifying glass to the world’s best cities, revealing why, and how they work."

Benjamin Thompson, FAIA AIA Gold Medalist

"Love for our cities unites all of us in this unique, impressive conference, with participants from different countries, with different professional backgrounds, but with one purpose: making our cities more livable."

Antonio Casellati Former Mayor, City of Venice, Italy

"Thank you for the utterly fascinating conference in Santa Fe... It has been a long time since I have been intellectually stimulated and been involved with such international creativity and innovations. The conference energized me and I was able to bring back ideas and information to my city."

Councilmember Stephanie Karlin, Avondale, AZ

"What an amazing conference! One of the best professional events I have ever attended!! Well-structured, extremely well-organized and super-high quality of both the presenters and materials presented."

Dr. Mirela Newman, Coordinator, Urban Studies Graduate Program, S Conn St. University

The Forgotten Child

“There is no topic more crucial to the well-being of our cities and of our democracy, and no one more qualified to give it the thoughtful attention it deserves.”