2013 CNU ILLINOIS EVENTS
December - Holiday Party & Awards Ceremony
An annual tradition, our holiday party at the Cliff Dwellers Club afforded guests beautiful views of Millennium Park and the festive lights of Michigan Avenue while they enjoyed music, appetizers, cocktails and great conversation. We also honored seven exemplary projects with our annual Charter Awards chosen this year from a record-setting number of entries spanning all seven of our award categories. Congratulations to all of the 2013 CNU Illinois Charter Award Winners!
October - Fall Statewide Conference
CNU Illinois 6
Creating Common Ground
The CNU Charter states that economic vitality, community stability, diversity, and affordability are vital components of healthy urbanism. As the capstone of our year-long exploration of the human dimension in the built environment, CNU Illinois hosted our sixth annual statewide conference. Our morning program showcased the efforts of five innovative leaders from the City of Rockford and a keynote address by Rockford Mayor, Lawrence Morrissey. Our afternoon program provided an opportunity for attendees to actively participate with the presenters. Our conference day activities were punctuated by a midday “Urban Excursion” to the Italian Village and a post conference happy hour at the Berghoff.
“Reconnecting Rockford” (L/R): Genevieve Borich, Pablo Korona,
Pam Schallhorn, Rockfor Mayor Lawrence Morrissey, Peter Provenzano, Ron Clewers.
“The Action Expo: (L/R): Kyle Smith, Naomi Davis, Tom Tresser, Aaron Gruen.
September 2013 - Pop-Up Studio
CNU Illinois and the Illinois Chapter of the Students for the New Urbanism hosted a Pop-up Urban Design Studio at the Open Books Literacy Center in Chicago. Planning and design students from DePaul, Judson and UIC gathered for a two-hour, peer-led charrette to envision new uses for a brownfield site in Rockford, Illinois. CNU Illinois member Zach Borders of Civic ArtWorks and CNU Illinois Board member Jennifer Settle of MGLM Architects provided their professional feedback to the student participants. For additional information about this event, please visit our Student page.
August 2013 - Andersonville Excursion
Twenty CNU Illinois members and friends enjoyed an evening walking tour of Andersonville’s lively and unique business district. Led by Ellen Shepard, the Executive Director of the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce and the Andersonville Development Corporation, and by Thom Greene of Greene & Proppe Design, the tour began with a historical overview of the neighborhood presented at the Swedish American Museum by Executive Director Karin Moen Abercrombie. The tour included stops at several of Andersonville’s signature businesses as well as a discussion of economic development objectives, historic preservation initiatives, “eco-friendly” business initiatives, and streetscape amenities.
July 2013 - Harper Court Excursion
CNU Illinois was treated to a preview of the 2012 CNU Illinois Charter Award winning Harper Court commercial development project now nearing completion in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. The tour included several stops along 53rd Street, highlighting recent redevelopment in the area. The tour continued through Harper Court’s new signature public open space and included visits to the office tower and retail structures. The tour was co-led by developer Christopher Dillion of Harper Court Partners, Sophie Bidek of Hartshorne Plunkard Architects, Jon Dennis from the University of Chicago, and Tiffany McSwain from the Buck Management Group.
June 2013 - Pullman Excursion
The South Side community of Pullman was host to twenty five CNU Illinois visitors for a guided walking tour in June. Built in the 1890’s by George M. Pullman, President of Pullman's Palace Car Company, the mixed-income, walkable community was originally graced by many splendid parks and public buildings and remains a fine example of traditional urban planning. Michael Shymanski of the Historic Pullman Foundation began our excursion with an introductory lecture, appropriately delivered in private train car ride from downtown Chicago to Pullman.
Information on Congress 21 in Salt Lake City as well as copies of the Sustainable Streets manual were available to Happy Hour attendees. CNU Illinois events provide regular opportunities to stay connected with the national organization.
May 2013 - Happy Hour
CNU Illinois held its second Happy Hour of 2013 in May. For several in attendance, it was their first CNU Illinois event. Conversation was lively and included topics such as bike and rail transit as well as the upcoming national Congress in Salt Lake City. With the arrival of warmer weather, subsequent CNU Illinois events move outside with a series of "Urban Excursions."
April 2013 - Happy Hour
Despite heavy spring rains, CNU Illinois held its first Happy Hour social event of 2013 in April. The event was attended by familiar faces of the CNU Illinois community, representation from CNU national, and by several attending a CNU Illinois event for the very first time. Our guest speaker, Angela Brooks, shared her experiences as a national board member of the American Planning Association and as a participant in the recently concluded national APA conference held in Chicago. In her remarks, she noted that the dialogue within the planning community was expanding to include new topics, new voices, and new opportunities for interdisciplinary cross-collaboration. CNU Illinois is currently engaged in a year-long process of highlighting non-traditional approaches to shaping the urban environment.
Angela Brooks - APA
March 2013 - Spring Speaker Series
Development Done Better
The Spring Speaker Series was a great success and attracted over 25 people. Most of the guests opted to take tours of the Glessner House as well. Many guests stayed after the presentations to talk more, snack and share information. The speakers were all inspirational and flowed very well together. All of our presenters would like to stay more closely involved with CNU-IL and several guests stated that it was their first event and they were excited about becoming more involved with the organization. We had a record number of students come out as well. Our goal is to keep our members engaged and to reinforce this year's theme through regular events and updates punctuated by our conference in October and culminating in a publication next spring.
Naomi Davis - Green Urban Villages
Kendra Smith - Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning
More than 25 guests attended, most taking tours of the Glessner House as well. Many guests stayed after the presentations to talk more, snack and share information.
Christopher Dillion - Vermillion Development