Blog

Social dimensions of sustainability in neighborhood planning

The term "sustainability" has become ubiquitous, and yet, the focus is almost always on the environment. The other dimensions of sustainability - social and economic - are glossed over or even ignored. IMCL holds that a socially sustainable neighborhood needs to promote equitably each individual's social, mental and physical well-being, and the community's cultural, and social well-being. To achieve a socially sustainable city requires equity across neighborhoods and ethnic groups, and improved social health for future generations. Thus, social sustainability has powerful implications for city planning and urban design.

The Pros and Cons of Downtown Family Living

By Jessica Engelmann

When I moved to Portland five years ago, I moved because I was looking to put down roots. At the time, I lived in Washington DC, but I was contemplating a move to Chicago. I had spent a decade hopping from city to city, and it was time to sit still, at least for a little while.

The Other Side of Gentrification: Health effects of displacement

Gentrification continues to be a hot topic in our quest to create livable cities. While much of the discussion focuses on homogenization, racial tensions, and property values, commonly overlooked are the health effects of dramatic neighborhood change, such as gentrification. What is happening to those who are being pushed out or marginalized within their original community? How does all of this change affect their health?

Side Effects of Social Media

In his thoughtful and perceptive article, We’re All Connected: Too bad more is not necessarily the same as better, Scott Doyon questions whether our ubiquitous “social media” strengthen our connections to one another.

While social media offer innumerable pleasures and benefits, there are side effects that we prefer to deny. We do so at our peril.

Americans Becoming Sicker: Make the Right Diagnosis

By Richard J. Jackson, MD, MPH

In medicine, when a patient is getting sicker despite increasing medicine and treatment, the doctor must find why the therapy seems useless. What else is going on? What can work better? One of the first things a medical student learns is: “Make the (Right) Diagnosis”. If you are not correctly treating the underlying disease, you make the patient worse.

Safe Routes to School Vindicated: Injuries Reduced

How satisfying to find a research report that verifies what we have all believed, and supported congressional funding for: roadway design improvements (sidewalks, bike lanes, stop signs, traffic-calming, crosswalks, signage, lighting, etc) do indeed reduce school-age pedestrian injuries. Data are important in these times of limited funds and fiscal skeptics. The report by Charles DiMaggio and Guohua Li that went online in Pediatrics on January 14, 2013 provides sound evidence that implementation of the Safe Routes to School program in New York City has contributed to a 44% decrease in pedestrian injury in school-age children during school-travel hours[i].

A City Arises from Sprawl: Carmel, Indiana

A remarkable city is arising out of the suburban sprawl of Carmel, Indiana. Over the last 13 years, what began as an area of high-end suburban housing, strip malls and fragmented office buildings is being transformed into a true city with a mixed-use urban fabric, and a hospitable public realm. So far, the transformation has taken place in two areas, at what might be the northern edge and central point of the future city center: at the northern edge, the Carmel Arts and Design District is developing along Main Street; half a mile south, between City Center Drive and City Hall, a magnificent cultural, civic and mixed use housing/business area is taking shape.

Can this vision be maintained until a complete, genuinely urban city center has been achieved?

Strasbourg: City of Vision

Strasbourg, for centuries considered the “Crossroads of Europe”, is located in the Alsace Region of France, close to Freiburg. In the Middle Ages, it’s function as an important European meeting place was expressed in the innumerable squares and market places that supported international exchange. Today, Strasbourg’s unique identity finds expression in its role as seat of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament.

Of special note for making cities livable are the major improvements in livability that Strasbourg has achieved in the last 15 years, including its exemplary light rail system that runs through the city center and out to suburban areas, and the city’s wealth of traffic-free squares within a fine-grained, mixed-use urban fabric. In 1994, IMCL awarded Strasbourg the IMCL City of Vision Award. We are proud to work with the City of Strasbourg to bring participants to this city for the "Cities of Vision Study Tour" to learn from Strasbourg’s continuing leadership in these aspects of livability.

Freiburg: 2013 City of Vision Study Tour

The City of Freiburg is often called Germany's "ecological capital" and has been recognized internationally as one of the world’s most livable, sustainable and child-friendly cities. In 1993, IMCL awarded the City of Freiburg the IMCL City of Vision Award. Since then, Freiburg has received numerous awards for its leadership in sustainable transportation planning, promotion of walking and biking, traffic calming mechanisms, human scale mixed-use development, renewable energy, protection of nature, and sustainability. Today, we are proud to work with the City of Freiburg to further disseminate the innovations and improvements in livability and sustainability the City has achieved in recent years by organizing the 2013 City of Vision Study Tour to Freiburg, September 27 – October 4, 2013.

Charlie Hales, Portland’s new Mayor

Congratulations to IMCL Board Member Charlie Hales who won a clear victory as Portland’s next Mayor! Charlie has a passion for livable and lively cities, and a profound belief in social and cultural equity.

Join Us

At the 50th Conference on Reshaping Suburbia into Complete Healthy Communities in Portland, OR, June 23-27, 2013!

50th Conference

2013 Study Tour

Freiburg

“European Cities of Vision” Study Tour: Freiburg and Strasbourg. September 27 – October 4, 2013

"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.”