The CNU MIDWEST BOARD OF DIRECTORS will hold their January meeting on Zoom, and broadcast on Facebook. The meeting will be held at 12:30 PM Eastern/11:30 AM Central.

The CNU MIDWEST BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS HOLDING A BOARD RETREAT TO DISCUSS THE ORGANIZATION’S GOALS AND STRATEGIES FOR 2025.

World Car Free Day is celebrated on September 22. It is a worldwide initiative to encourage motorists to take a break from driving and explore alternatives. So if you want to be more environmentally friendly, take part in World Car-Free Day. Sure, giving up your vehicle may not be the most convenient way to go car-free, but it is the best way to stop gas-guzzling for even one day. Is it possible to go for an entire day without needing a car? Yes! It can be done, and World Car-Free Day wants to prove it.

https://nationaltoday.com/world-car-free-day/

Details

Calling all St. Louis City SC fans and cycling enthusiasts! Join us for a fun, healthy, and eco-friendly way to get to every home game at CityPark. We'll be biking from Amsterdam Tavern, gathering up fans along the way, and arriving together to cheer on our team.

Why join the Bike Bus?

• Save money: Ditch the parking fees and gas costs.

• Get exercise: Get your heart pumping before the game.

• Meet new people: Connect with other fans and cyclists.

• Show your spirit: Let's paint the town red (and blue)!

Who can join?

• All skill levels: We welcome riders of all abilities.

• All ages: Families and children are encouraged to participate (with proper safety gear).

• All riders: Road bikes, mountain bikes, cruisers, e-bikes, e-scooters - If you can maintain 10-12mph you are welcome.

• Tickets are not required: Want to join for the ride or just to enjoy the game day atmosphere. You are welcome to join the bike-bus.

What to expect:

• Consistent Route: We have a designated route with leaders.

• Safety first: We'll emphasize safe riding practices and follow traffic laws.

How to join:

• Sign up: RSVP on Meetup -not required-.

• Catch the Bike-Bus: Meet us anywhere along the route

• Bring: Your bike, helmet, water, and your loudest voice to cheer on City SC!

Let's show everyone how passionate St. Louis is about our team and our city!

(Route details:
Start : Amsterdam Tavern
East on Juniata
Left Turn North onto Louisianna
Right Turn East onto Shenandoah
Left Turn North onto Nebraska
Right Turn East onto Lafayette
Left Turn North onto California
Right Turn East onto Lasalle
Left Turn North onto Ohio
Right Turn East onto Chouteau
Left Turn North onto Jefferson protected bike path
Right Turn East onto Scott
Left Turn North onto Trail
End: Stadium)

https://www.meetup.com/stlurbanists/events/301485700/

This month we will be reading The Overlooked Americans by Elizabeth Currid-Halkett.

This is the in-person event, with limited space. Please RSVP as soon as you can to reserve your spot.

Don't have the book yet? Grab a copy at the library, or go check out Left Bank Books to grab a copy!

If you are interested in the book, but can't make the meeting, you're still welcome to discuss it in our discord.

Join us at our next monthly meeting! The first half of these meetings is formal discussion of our organization and project updates, and the second half is social.

Can't make this event? Join us on our online Discord server or at one of our later meetups - usually on the second Sunday of each month. For more information, check out https://stlurbanist.org.

To join us virtually, go to : https://meet.jit.si/STLUrbanistsMonthlyMeeting

See you soon!

Our social bike rides are open to riders of all abilities, and the focus is on socializing with other urbanists as we explore different trails in the St. Louis region.

We will meet at Shrewsbury-Lansdowne Metrolink Station and depart shortly after 10:00 AM. From there, we will head north on the River Des Peres Greenway, and then take Oxford Ave through Maplewood to the beginning of the Deer Creek Greenway. We will stop once we reach Lorraine Davis Park for a quick water break and chat before turning around and riding back to Shrewsbury Station. In total, this will be about 45 minutes of bike riding, and roughly 8 miles.

https://www.meetup.com/stlurbanists/?msockid=02a7a840f3e26b99170cbc37f2716ad3

Rural Small Developers and rural communities working to support small scale development face unique challenges. Joing us to review actionable ways small towns can be proactive in their development. We'll discuss the hurdles as well as the opportunities from both the community stakeholder and the developers standpoints.

Presented by Jenifer Acosta

REgister

How do you foster positive relationships with tenants in small-scale developments to minimize turnover, reduce vacancy rates, and enhance property value? Join Bruzenskey Bois to gain insights into proactive communication strategies, conflict resolution techniques, and tenant engagement initiatives.

Presented by Bruzenskey Bois

register

Housing is an investment. Investment prices must go up. Housing is shelter. When the price of shelter goes up, people experience distress.

This is the housing trap. It’s time to escape. This presentation introduces a first-of-its-kind discussion of the tension between housing as a financial product and housing as shelter. These insights will help local communities fight back against the current affordability housing crisis, and opt out of the boom and bust cycles that have typified housing in postwar America.

This presentation offers a serious, yet accessible, history of housing policy in the United States and explains how it led us to this point in time: where we face a market that is rigged against people who, only a few decades ago, could have been homeowners or stable, long-term renters. Only local change, on a neighborhood or city-wide scale, can begin to restore balance to the housing market.

After this one-hour presentation, you’ll understand:

• How the tension between housing as an investment and housing as shelter impacts where and how we live.

• How financial innovations in the Great Depression stabilized the housing market, and how those tools were repurposed after World War II to rapidly expand America’s cities.

• How a series of housing price bubbles and banking crises have financialized the housing market, transforming homeowners from the customer purchasing a home to the product supporting a mortgage.

• How regulations designed to facilitate the rapid growth of cities end up stagnating neighborhoods and creating artificial housing shortages.

• Why making it easier for more people to borrow more money is not a solution to housing affordability and, in fact, has only made housing less broadly attainable.

• The huge difference between a goal of making affordable housing and a goal of making housing affordable.

About Charles Marohn Known as “Chuck” to friends and colleagues, he is the founder and president of Strong Towns. He is a civil engineer and a land use planner with decades of experience. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning, both from the University of Minnesota.

Marohn is the author of Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity (Wiley, 2019), And of Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town (Wiley, 2021). He hosts the Strong Towns Podcast and is a primary writer for Strong Towns’ web content. He has presented Strong Towns concepts in hundreds of cities and towns across North America. Planetizen named him one of the 10 Most Influential Urbanists of all time.

Register

Real estate developers can accelerate projects and deliver lovable architecture at an economical price point with the help of stock plans (a/k/a "house plans"). One of IncDev's new Partnerships with Liberty House Plans aims to make stock architecture plans more affordable, accessible, and usable for small developers. Later this year we'll roll out a catalog of appraisal sets for an even lower cost way for small developers to get to an appraisal package to go for your bank loan without significant out of pocket pre-development costs.  Join us as we lead you through a sample project drawn from real life.

Register

Join members and friends of ULI Cincinnati for an event hosted by the organization’s Young Leaders Group. The program will include an engaging and insightful panel discussion and guided tour of several Willkommen project assets. This project is an initiative focused on affordable housing, historic preservation, and innovative architecture. The Congress of New Urbanism recognized the project’s unique approach that “simultaneously supports diversity and prevents displacement, spurs economic opportunity, and enhances our architectural heritage” with a Charter Award in 2023. To complement the upcoming CNU 32 conference, this program will offer the opportunity to explore the transformative impact of the project firsthand, engage with key stakeholders, and understand the broader implications for urban infill development and community engagement.

Where:  Bricker Graydon on Main

AGENDA

4:00-4:15 PM Check-In and Networking
4:15-5:00 PM Program
5:00-5:45 PM Walking Tour
5:45-6:30 PM Q&A and Networking at Liberty's Bar & Bottle Shop

Register here!

Join us for the inaugural Community Building Network event, a collaborative effort between the Congress for New Urbanism (CNU), the Rethink Coalition, and Urban Land Institute-Indiana (ULI-Indiana), aimed at fostering connections among urban advocates in Indianapolis.

April 4, 2024, 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Location: Stutz Car Museum 1060 N. Capitol Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46204

This casual networking event offers an opportunity to mingle with like-minded professionals and members of the public who share a passion for advancing urban design in Indianapolis. Whether you're a seasoned urban advocate or simply interested in contributing to the well-being of our community, this event is for you.

Discover upcoming initiatives and activities led by CNU, the Rethink Coalition, ULI-Indiana, and other allied professionals that are shaping the future of urban development in our city. Together, we aim to propel Indianapolis into a top-tier community renowned for its innovative urban design.

Don't miss this chance to connect, collaborate, and contribute to the conversation on building a vibrant and sustainable future for Indianapolis. Join us at the Community Building Network event and be a part of the movement towards positive change. We look forward to seeing you there!

Free registration: https://indiana.uli.org/events/detail/E9D27939-D0D8-4408-9C06-C422D85BB2FC/

The CNU MIDWEST EXECUTIVE OFFICERS MEET ON A MONTHLY BASIS TO DISCUSS BOARD OPERATIONS. THIS MEETING IS BY INVITE ONLY.