The Latino Urbanism Symposium
May 4, 2011 – May 5, 2011
Wednesday – Thursday
Cost: FREE
Open to the Public
The Latino Urbanism Symposium, to be held at The AE England Building on Wednesday and The Phoenix Urban Research Lab on Thursday (both on the ASU downtown Phoenix campus) will highlight Latino Urbanism and its role in American placemaking. We will spend two days celebrating and understanding how Latino Urbanism is reshaping the American urban landscape.
Latino Urbanism is an emerging approach to development that responds to Latino lifestyles, cultural preferences, and economic needs. Through an opening design charrette, evening keynote address and day-long series of presentations and panels, the symposium will expand upon a growing interest in the built environments of Latino communities, focusing on shaping and incorporating Latino needs in the development of present and future places in American cities. Topics include:
- Empirical assessments of the current conditions of Latino neighborhoods: health, walkability, safety and diversity issues
- Implications for the design of the public realm: connecting social and cultural spaces in Latino Urbanism
- Latino Urbanism vs. New Urbanism: Cultural implications of placemaking
- The relationship between sustainability and Latino Urbanism
- Latino Urbanism best practices and implementation strategies
Scholars have suggested that Latino Urbanism is an important alternative to conventional urban planning strategies in Southwestern cities, where Latino populations are expanding rapidly. Significantly, Latino Urbanism is often in keeping with the main principles of Smart Growth and New Urbanism: compact urban form, pedestrian activity, public transportation, and the importance of an active public realm. Latino New Urbanism has emerged as a movement that fights sprawl and seeks to preserve Latino settlement traditions and create healthier versions of the American Dream.
What can we learn from these traditions, and how relevant are they for urban design in the American Southwest? What are the needs and possibilities of new approaches to urban design in Latino communities? What are the most pressing problems to address, and what solutions can be offered?
Agenda
Wednesday Evening, May 4, 5:00 – 6:30
A.E. England Building
424 N. Central Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Keynote presentation by Henry Cisneros, Executive Chairman, CityView and former HUD Secretary
Introduction by Tom Espinoza, President and CEO, La Raza Development Fund
6:30 – 7:30: Opening reception
This event is free and open to the public
Thursday, May 5th, 8:00 am – 5:30 pm
Phoenix Urban Research Laboratory
234 N Central Ave, 8th Floor
To register contact aaron.rothman@asu.edu
Panel presentations and discussions:
- Patterns and Forms of Latino Cultural Landscapes (morning)
- Latino Urbanism vs. New Urbanism (morning)
- Latino Urbanism, Economic Development, and the Marketing of Ethnic Identity (afternoon)
- Designing Public and Private Space for Latino Communities (afternoon)
Speakers include: Stefanos Polyzoides, James Rojas, Roberto Moreno, Jesus Lara, and Kevin Kellogg
Downtown Voices Coalition 