Less than one month remains until the first major conference on cities to resume IN PERSON, in the fascinating laboratory of suburban retrofit, Carmel, Indiana. Final preparations are under way for the IMCL as most if not all attendees are expected to be vaccinated, and organizers finish planning workshops, tours, musical events, a Farmers’ Market, and much more
The 57th International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) conference, originally scheduled for June 2020, is all set for a full conference June 8-12 of this year. Suzanne Lennard, co-founder of this blog, was also co-founder of the IMCL along with her late husband Henry. Suzanne had planned this conference prior to her death in 2019, and we will honor her memory, and Henry’s, at the conference.
The conference will address forefront challenges for cities as we emerge slowly from the pandemic, including health and well-being, resilience and adaptation, equity and affordability, smart and sustainable technologies, street and suburban retrofit, and tools and strategies to overcome barriers and advance positive change for cities, towns and suburbs.
The conference will have a special focus on walkable public spaces and their importance. This is a central aspect of the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and and Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by acclamation by all 193 member countries of the United Nations. Participants in that process, and leading researchers in public space and its importance, will be speaking at the IMCL conference.
This topic has gained new urgency in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, when social isolation and declining urban resilience have reached near-catastrophic levels. We now recognize how important it is to develop walkable, mixed cities, where pedestrians can form social contacts and more easily access daily needs safely, in an environment that promotes their health and well-being. Effective tools are urgently needed, however, to overcome barriers and implement these improvements in our cities, towns and suburbs. That’s what we will focus on at IMCL 2021.
The IMCL conferences were begun in 1985 by Suzanne and Henry Lennard — an architectural scholar and a medical sociologist. The Lennards wanted to create a premiere gathering that brought together international leaders in city policy, planning and development, leading researchers and professionals, in actual and inspiring case study settings, in a peer-to-peer exchange of the most effective solutions to pressing urban problems.
Carmel is just outside Indianapolis, a convenient airport hub that is easily accessible with short flights from Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C., Atlanta and other cities. A direct flight is also available from Seattle on Alaska Airlines. Carmel is 30 minutes away by taxi, shuttle, bus or car. Indianapolis is also on the Amtrak Cardinal line from Chicago to Washington. D.C.
For more information or to register, visit https://www.livable-cities.org/.
BELOW: Just some of our over 50 speakers!
