This fall, NACTO will hold the fourth annual Designing Cities conference in Austin, Texas. Designing Cities convenes transportation leaders and practitioners from across the country to discuss key trends in urban street design and transportation policy.
Local leaders working on the ground to revitalize city streets will exchange best practices with major city transportation stakeholders and private sector entrepreneurs committed to a common vision for healthier, more sustainable, economically vibrant cities of tomorrow.
“Our growing annual conference has become the place to be for thought leaders in city transportation,” said Linda Bailey, NACTO Executive Director. “This October is an exciting opportunity for us to visit Austin, a real leader in great street design in the Sunbelt.”
“We’re thrilled to have Austin host the nation’s most cutting-edge conference on the design of transportation systems for cities,” said Robert Spillar, Director of the Austin Transportation Department. “We’ll share our innovations with more than 400 professionals as we gather ideas for fresh solutions emerging nationally.”
“Building safer streets and smarter cities requires creativity, ingenuity and energy — exactly what you’ll find in Austin,” said Janette Sadik-Khan, NACTO Chair. “The nation’s premier showcase for what’s possible in cities will be bigger than ever this year as the number of NACTO members grows, expanding this network of transportation leaders.”
The Designing Cities conference will include a mix of:
- Keynote presentations from visionary transportation directors
- Breakout sessions with leading practitioners
- Poster presentations of case studies from NACTO member cities
- NACTO Camp, a participant-led unconference
- Mobile workshops led by the City of Austin
- In-depth training on the Urban Street Design Guide
The City of Austin is thrilled to host this national conference, which will unite multiple Central Texas transportation agencies as contributors to the event. “The NACTO Designing Cities conference provides a powerful platform for our entire community – public and private – to elevate the discussion of complete streets for Austin,” said Katherine Gregor, Complete Streets Program Manager for the Austin Transportation Department.
Designing Cities will draw practitioners and leaders from NACTO’s 39 member cities, as well as forward-thinking transportation professionals from all sectors. “We welcome NACTO member cities to Austin to celebrate the best of active transportation, urban design, and placemaking,” said Laura Dierenfield, Active Transportation Program Manager for the Austin Transportation Department. “Together we are transforming our cities into great places for people.”
More information on Designing Cities 2015 will be available soon. For information on sponsorship opportunities or ways to be involved, contact Corinne Kisner, Designing Cities Program Manager, at corinne@nacto.org.
