Congress for the New Urbanism - North Texas
About CNU-NTX
The North Central Texas chapter of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) promotes walkable communities, availability and access to multi-modal transportation, and a range of housing choices and neighborhood types for all ages and income levels. We promote initiatives such as walkable school districts, infilling sprawl and retrofitting suburbia, and redesigning highways to boulevards through central cities. We advocate for local public policy, hold events for professionals and dedicated lay people, and believe the principles of urbanism are an essential part of any strategy to address municipal growth and decay, economics, housing inequality, crime, and sustainibility of our cities.
As stated in the Charter of the Congress for the New Urbanism we believe, “neighborhoods should be diverse in use and population; communities should be designed for the pedestrian and transit as well as the car; cities and towns should be shaped by physically defined and universally accessible public spaces and community institutions; urban places should be framed by architecture and landscape design that celebrate local history, climate, ecology, and building practice.” We are the local arm of the national CNU that seeks to advance bipartisan reforms that deliver market-based improvements to the economy, the environment and public health. Initiatives work to remove codes, standards, and financial and tax
incentives that act as obstacles to the creation of vibrant, healthy, value-driven and
better-performing districts. Initiative work is based on tasks that can be completed within a specific timeframe and directly relate to CNU's strategic goals: Sustainability, Transportation, Regionalism, Affordability, Financing and Entitlements,and Accessibility and Visitability.
The board of directors and the chapter membership are comprised of civic-minded individuals from a variety of fields, including elected officials, real estate developers, urban planners, architects, and citizens who care about their neighborhood, their city, and the built environment. In both our private practice and in our work as a non-profit educational organization,we focus on getting great places built for people to live in and experience. We aim to affect policy changes in order to meet the demand for walkable places. Lastly, we hope to create a legacy of lasting value in our neighborhoods, and cities that can live beyond our lifetimes.
CNU Resources
CNU-NTX Board of Directors
Doug Prude, President
MCRP
Downtown Dallas Inc, - Director of Economic Development & Opportunity
Doug has been an active placemaker for over a decade through his work at Downtown Dallas, Inc. and his leadership at PARK(ing) Day Dallas. He works closely with developers, landlords, and real estate brokers to increase ground-floor tenancy in Downtown Dallas and helps small businesses through the permitting process. Doug holds a BBA in Marketing from the University of North Texas and an MCRP in Green Cities and Transportation from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Amanda Popken, Past President
CNU-A, LEED-AP, MCRP
Popken Popups & Civilscape Homes - CEO
Amanda holds an MA in City & Regional Planning (MCRP) and is accredited as a CNU-A professional from the Congress for the New Urbanism and LEED-AP certified from the US Green Building Council. She serves on the Dallas Plan Commission and on the Boards of the Atlantic Housing Foundation and Bike Friendly Oak Cliff. An award-winning community engagement firm, Popken PopUps uses the principles of CNU in creative engagement, placemaking, and tactical urbanism.
Board Members Emeritus
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Doug Athas
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Laura French
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Linda Summers
Founding Board Members
The CNU - North Texas Chapter was founded in 2006 by a small but mighty team:
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Monte Anderson
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Laura French
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Russ Sikes
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Alicia Winkelbrech
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Will Pinkerton
Jennifer Pruitt, Secretary
AICP, LEED-AP, CNU-A
Senior Director of Planning, City of Waxahachie
Jennifer is a proud urban planner with a specialty in community development. Her passion for smart growth and sustainable development has been the primary driving force for nearly three decades of public service. With an Architecture background, she has been able to see the built environment thrive when the guiding principles of CNU are accepted, recognized and respected.
Taner Ozdil
PhD, ASLA
Associate Professor, Landscape Architecture; Associate Director for Research, Center for Metropolitan Density (CfMD) at UT Arlington's College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs (CAPPA).
Dr Ozdil's scholarly and professional interests lie within the interdisciplinary areas of design, planning, and development fields. He teaches graduate-level courses that focus on urban design, urban landscape, and physical planning with specific emphasis on urban regions. Dr. Ozdil received his BLA from Ankara University, MLA from the University of Colorado at Denver, and Ph.D. from Texas A&M University.
Joseph A. Pobiner
FAICP, CNU-A, MCRP
Managing Director - JPC International
Joe has been a leading planning and urban design consultant based in North Texas for many years. As a practice leader with leading design firms, he has been involved with many of the most high-profile projects in North Texas. He has worked on projects in 42 states and 32 countries and is currently serving clients across the USA and globally.
Peter J. Cioe
Community Focused Ventures - President
Peter took an unconventional path into real estate development and general contracting from his earlier profession in computer engineering. His travels introduced him to some of the great cities of the world, where he got to experience the benefits of the New Urbanist principles. When he learned about the New Urbanist movement, he found his new mission. Peter now purchases and redevelops older buildings, giving them new purposes, and is an active member in his communities.
Tony Pham, UT Arlington Liaison
Student, Walkable Arlington - President
Tony (he/him) is an undergraduate architecture student at The University of Texas at Arlington. He has been leading the charge in advocating for walkability and bikeability at Arlington and beyond since entering college. He is always looking for more opportunities in building livable communities and creating partnerships.
Together We Stand
August 2020
In light of the ongoing battle with police brutality and racism that we face as a nation, we at CNU North Texas want to reiterate the message from CNU National and make it clear where we stand as an organization.
CNU North Texas stands in solidarity with individuals and communities of color that have endured centuries of systematic racism, segregation, and persecution.
As urbanists, we understand the immense role that planning, design, land use and the built environment have played throughout our history of institutional racism. From zoning designed to segregate to financial redlining; from transportation and housing policy to the disinvestment in public space, we have collectively failed millions throughout our country, and here in North Texas. A child’s future should not be determined by the zip code in which they were born, nor due to the color of their skin.
The reality that COVID-19 has had a substantial effect on our friends and neighbors in communities of essential workers and front line workers should serve as a reminder of the real life consequences of our health system, our financial system, and our land use and transportation policies.
These past months have provided time for reflection, but also have served as a clear call to action. Words alone are not enough to fight racism. In our effort to be anti-racist, CNU North Texas is reaching out to listen, learn, and most importantly, act.
We recognize that there is both a perception and reality within urbanists circles where individuals of color may not feel as welcome at the table as they should. Our writings, our work, our speeches emphasize diversity and the breaking down of barriers, but when we reflect honestly, we have fallen short of TRUE inclusivity.
While we don’t have all the answers, we do believe that urbanism provides a key tool to fight racism and classism. However, we cannot do this alone.
With that, we reach out to urbanists far and wide, but especially urbanists of color, to reach out to us and become involved.
Work with us to find projects and provide resources that serve those who need it most. Let us work to move the needle in a meaningful way.
Together, we can make a difference. Our call to action has begun.
Sincerely,
Board of Directors, CNU - North Texas, Congress for the New Urbanism