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By Katrina Johnston-Zimmerman

One day not long ago (by history’s standards), streets were populated by a friendlier form of transportation: the bicycle. Accompanied by horses, trolleys, and masses of pedestrians as well, the bicycle was the first form of personal transportation before automobiles were even prototypes. Bicycles helped women to become emancipated by providing them with independent mobility. Many don’t realize that in fact it was bicyclists who first demanded that roads should be smoothly asphalted in order to ease transportation as early as the late 1800’s. A few decades later, however, streets quickly became the realm of the car.

Walk Score Most Walkable Cities Released

By Katrina Johnston-Zimmerman

Working up to New Year’s resolutions, Walk Score has released their official 2014 ranking of Most Walkable Cities and Neighborhoods. Checking a neighborhood’s Walk Score has been a handy tool for transplants everywhere - ratings from 1 to 100 can give you a quick overview of a house or apartment’s proximity to grocery stores, green spaces, and even bike lanes, especially for those who get around primarily by foot or bicycle.

Public Space and PARK(ing) Day

By Katrina Johnston-Zimmerman

I’ll sing it until I’m blue in the face, but public space is one of the most crucial components of an urban environment. Not only is it a huge percentage of any city, but more importantly it’s public. And that includes the sidewalks, parks, plazas, and streets – all (or most) technically belonging to the people. While it’s true that you can’t just camp out in the middle of the highway (not that you’d want to), it’s only manufactured policies that now dictate our streets are for automobiles instead of people.

But what if it was different?

Sherford - More True Urbanism in the UK

Sherford is a new market town to be built near Plymouth in Devon, England on principles of true urbanism. The traditional Wiltshire market town of Marlborough inspires the design, with its Georgian-style shop/houses lining the high street. Plans paint a picture of a lively community where all trips can be made on foot. On May 22, 2013 the government announced a £32m loan to kick-start construction.

Public Art Comes to Portland with Forest for the Trees Project

One thing many people notice when they come to Portland is that unlike many other large cities, there is a distinct lack of large public murals downtown. Public art brings vitality to the city, and thanks to Forest for the Trees NW, there's a lot more of it in Portland. Over the course of six days, twelve artists from around the world created massive works of art all over the city. Participating businesses hosted collaborations between artists from Tokyo and Australia, along with local artists to add vibrancy to the streets.

Photos from the 50th Conference Now Available

The 50th International Making Cities Livable Conference in Portland was full of engaging speakers and lively discussion. The photos from the conference are now online for you to peruse. We thank you again for contributing to the conversation! You can see the photos here.

2013 IMCL Joseph P. Riley Jr. Award to Mayor Ralph Becker, Salt Lake City

Ralph Becker, Mayor of Salt Lake City was presented with the 2013 IMCL Joseph P. Riley Jr. Award at the 50th IMCL Conference in Portland, OR, June 25, 2013. The Award was made in recognition of his “exemplary Livability Initiative, a program to make Salt Lake City one of the greenest, most inclusive and economically viable municipalities in the country.” The initiative improves conditions for walking, cycling and public transit, in conjunction with a focus on creating “vibrant, walkable neighborhoods, community hubs, and housing for a full range of incomes.”

50th Conference in Portland - eConference

Did you miss the conference in Portland but wish you could still read the papers and view the slideshows? Did you attend the conference in Portland 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 James Brainard, Carmel, IN awarded 2013 IMCL Joseph P. Riley Jr. Award

At the 50th International Making Cities Livable Conference (IMCL) in Portland, OR, June 23-27, 2013 Mayor James Brainard received the 2013 International Making Cities Livable Joseph P. Riley Jr. Award “for his inspirational leadership in creating a vibrant, multi-functional heart for Carmel, IN. The beauty, harmony and diversity of the compact urban fabric of City Center and the Arts District, squares, parks, theater and Palladium demonstrate a clear understanding of true urbanity and a vision of Carmel as a great city.”

The Venetian Campo: Ideal Setting for Social Life and Community

Before mass tourism transforms Venice into a dead museum, we would do well to study the genius of the Venetian campo. Not only the Venetians, but the whole world needs the Venetian campo, and the social life it supports, to survive and flourish.

Join Us!

At the 51st Conference on Successful Designs for Making Cities Healthy for All in Portland, OR, June 8-12, 2014!

"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.”