Lake Wales to be Featured at Congress for the New Urbanism

An annual planning conference will hear a special presentation on Lake Wales and the Connected plan this week. The 2023 CNU Florida Summit will take place on Thursday and Friday, February 16 and 17.

Sponsored by the Congress for the New Urbanism, a not-for-profit organization based in Washington, DC, the two-day event will take place at Creative Village in downtown Orlando, a campus of the University of Central Florida. Attendees will learn about Lake Wales and the redevelopment efforts that are expected to reshape the city's core.

The concepts promoted by "new urbanism" are revolutionizing urban designs and reinvigorating cities across North America. The annual conference draws architects, urban planners, developers, investors, engineers, academics, elected and career governmental officials, and citizen advocates, according to a statement issued by CNU.

Among the speakers will be Robert Connors, historian, author, and president of Lake Wales Heritage, an Olmsted Conservancy, along with Tiffany Davis, CEO of Wales Pointe Restaurant. Davis is also a director of Lake Wales Heritage. They will be joined in a panel discussion by Victor Dover, FAICP, LEED-AP, CNU-A. Dover is a founding principal of Dover, Kohl and Partners, the firm that created the award-winning Lake Wales Connected plan.

The Thursday afternoon panel discussion will focus on the city's history, Olmsted-designed landscapes, and the economic goals of the expansive redevelopment Envisioned in the Connected plans. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Bruce Stevenson of Rollins College in Winter Park.

The CNU website describes the organization as "the nation's most innovative and influential organization promoting the building and revitalization of great urban places."

Interested persons are invited to learn more about the conference at CNU.org. The conference is sold out.

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