MOULE & POLYZOIDES LEADS EFFORT TO AUTHOR CANONS OF SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM

Since its inception, New Urbanism has addressed significant sustainability issues and largely focused upon
integration of transit and walkability, compactness, regionalism/localism, and other critical issues. These approaches
have fundamentally altered the way buildings, neighborhoods, districts, and cities are designed and built. While
these developments have challenged conventional practices, it is clear that global climate change and environmental
degradation are as critical as any matters as we have ever faced. We felt it was time to broaden and more fully
articulate a holistic view of an immediate remedy to this challenge.

In response, CNU Co-founders Elizabeth Moule and Stefanos Polyzoides have joined with Hank Dittmar, Chairman
of the Prince’s Foundation and CNU Board President, to seek ways of further transforming our physical development
patterns and effectuate change. The result of this effort, a new document entitled the Canons of Sustainable
Architecture and Urbanism, sets out a series of comprehensive principles that address sustainability as it applies
to each of the components of urbanism, including the Building and Infrastructure; the Street, Block and Network;
the Neighborhood, Town and City; and the Region. The Canons address the issues of water, energy, food, habitat,
air quality, and climate along with transportation in relationship to the art of building and the restoration of urbanity.
In essence, the Canons articulate a unification and advancement of Smart Growth, "green building," natural resource
conservation and New Urbanism objectives in a single document.

We encourage you to review the Canons and lend your support, joining the many people who have contributed to the
framing and refinement of this important document. The Canons have been endorsed by 200 people at the Sustainability
Council of the CNU in Washington, DC in December 2007 and adopted by the CNU Board as CNU policy in 2008. The
Canons will be presented at CNU XVI in Austin, Texas and over the coming year will serve as the basis of a new
sustainability curriculum as we continue through a period of testing, refining, and outreach to governmental organizations,
non-profits, and private sector organizations.
READ the Canons of Sustainable Architecture and Urbanism [PDF].