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The Final Friday Workshop reviewed participants’ priorities as to how we should best take into account the needs of children, elders, and the poor as we make decisions about the built environment. This is the summary of the Final Workshop findings:

TOP RECOMMENDATIONS!

1.  How does the local government engage with the public? – we need public creation of planning priorities, not just public buy in. “We do engage the public” needs to be more deliberate on the part of cities and this needs to be meaningful engagement.

Application Deadline: October 15, 2018 

Urban designers, landscape architects, architects, planners, developers, cities and others are invited to enter one or more projects. Projects that emphasize Health, Equity, Community, and Sustainability are actively sought, and will be given particular consideration.

The jury is particularly interested in designs for:

• Regenerating poor neighborhoods and preventing displacement
• Housing the homeless
• Protecting neighborhood ethnic identity
• Mixed use, human scale, urban fabric
• Public transit, bike and pedestrian networks in poor neighborhoods
• Mixed-income affordable housing
• City squares, neighborhood squares for social life and community 
• Neighborhood parks and green spaces
• Reshaping a mall into a town center
• Transforming a strip mall into urban fabric
• Strengthening a city’s architectural DNA

In all projects, the jury will be looking for evidence that the project fits well within its context, and contributes to Creating a Healthy City for All. To read more click here.

The Award Ceremony will take place at the 56^thIMCL Conference, at the Sentinel Hotel, Portland, OR, June 17-21, 2019.

A Healthy City for ALL

That’s what the 56^thIMCL Conference in Portland, Oregon, June 17-21, 2019 is calling for! 

We rejoice that many cities now are becoming more healthy, by making great improvements in walkability, bikeability, public transit, and access to community, nature and healthy food. We will hear from some of the best models around the world. 

The BIG challenge is that these goals are not reaching those most in need. The poorest neighborhoods suffer the greatest health problems. We will hear from cities that are tackling these problems head on with outstanding programs for equitable, healthy neighborhoods.

“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”.