Doesn't the idea that we "create" cities show a certain conceit? Cities evolve, and are where they are for various reasons. There are many inputs. And many contradictions. For example, Manhattan is crowded, dirty, and noisy, and housing is extremely expensive, but the residents are some of the healthiest in the US, the culture is vibrant, and the economy is humming. Who among progressive planners would create Manhattan if it didn't exist already? No progressive planner is going to improve the weather or views or liberalism in San Francisco. Sometimes I think, with tongue firmly in cheek, that progressive planners should figure out ways to make some places like SF LESS popular, to reduce demand and control gentrification and high housing costs. As to this, "there has been little awareness of the adverse effects of what we have constructed-or the positive benefits of well designed built environments," humbug! My e-mail is full of messages with exactly these thoughts. We have TRB groups, all kinds of professional associations, websites, and advocacy groups saying exactly these things. Meantime, we're not figuring out why our pretty theories don't work so well. Why is Texas booming when it lacks the landuse controls professed by progressive planners, for example? Why did New Orleans bounce back after it kicked out progressive planners? Why are people still buying those awful, sprawled, single family houses on cul de sacs in the suburbs? Why are people still driving those awful cars? It's time for a dose of reality in the planning profession, with webinars like "Designing and Planning for Reality". Marc Brenman mbrenman001(a)comcast.net ----- Original Message ----- From: "EloisaRaynaultHM" <eloisaraynault(a)gmail.com> To: h+t--friends(a)chrispy.net Sent: Sunday, October 19, 2014 12:04:54 PM Subject: [H+T--Friends] Designing and Planning for Healthy Cities - A Conversation With Richard Jackson, Tim Beatley and Georges Benjamin Greetings TRB H+T Friends, This webinar may be of interest to you and your networks. Eloisa ** October 30 Webinar: Designing and Planning for Healthy Cities On Thursday, October 30, the Security & Sustainability Forum and the American Public Health Association will co-host a webinar featuring Tim Beatley of the University of Virginia and Richard Jackson of UCLA discussing creating cities that are compelling and healthy places to live, work, and play. 12:45 PM - 2:00 PM EDT Register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/949150209 Background: The environment that we construct affects both humans and our natural world in myriad ways. There is a pressing need to create healthy places and to reduce the health threats inherent in places already built. However, there has been little awareness of the adverse effects of what we have constructed-or the positive benefits of well designed built environments. Join SSF on October 30th in a rare opportunity to listen in on a conversation between two of the thought leaders in public health and urban planning and design -- UCLA Professor Richard Jackson co-author of Urban Sprawl and Public Health and co-editor of Making Healthy Places; and Tim Beatley of the University of Virginia and author of Biophilic Cities and Blue Urbanism plus several other books on urban and environmental planning. The session will be moderated by Dr. Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Pubic Health Association, which is co-producing the webinar. _______________________________________________ H+T--Friends mailing list H+T--Friends(a)chrispy.net https://www.chrispy.net/mailman/listinfo/h+t--friends