Development & Design
Leadership Program
Shape what’s next through the leadership program.
The Development & Design Leadership Program is a one-year program that is designed for the most promising young practitioners (between the ages of 20 and 45) who are committed to shaping better places through the principles of the Charter for the New Urbanism. Modeled after successful civic leadership programs, it fosters deep learning, collaboration, and long-term relationships. In response to the leadership gap left by the discontinued Knight Fellowship, the Program aims to equip participants with the knowledge, skills, and connections needed to overcome barriers to NU development. While it is managed by the Urban Guild, the cohort is selected to represent a variety of organizations that support the movement such as Strong Towns, the National Town Builders Association, the Incremental Development Alliance, and CNU chapters.
About the Program
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Each participant is required to attend and actively participate in all sessions, although a participant can still graduate with the class if no more than one virtual meeting is missed for a good reason. Each participant is also responsible for submitting a critique for each presentation at the first gathering. The class as a whole is responsible for giving a presentation or presentations at the final gathering that identify specific ways to overcome the hurdles that make it difficult to build cities with NU principles.
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It will be held over the course of one year that starts at the annual Guild Summit, and concludes at the following annual Summit. The Summit is held in late October or early November.
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It will consist of 12 gatherings, three of which will be in person--- two at the Guild Summit, and one at a partner event such as the Strong Towns National Gathering/CNU Congress. The remaining gatherings will be single-day virtual meetings that occur once each month (except December).
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While the size of each class might fluctuate from year to year, the intent is for it to range from 12 to 15 people who represent a wide range of professions that impact the built environment such as engineers, developers, urban designers, architects, public officials, community leaders, planners and landscape architects.
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Each gathering will have a thematic focus. Set out below is the initial summary of the scheduled focus areas for each gathering. These topics are intentionally broad and will cover a host of subtopics that are not listed such as suburban retrofit development, retail, affordable housing, sustainable development, tactical urbanism, public engagement, etc.
November 2026: Leadership & Design (Guild Summit @ Central Florida)
January 2027: Incremental Development (Virtual)
February 2027: The History of the NU Movement (Virtual)
March 2027: Transportation & Mobility (Virtual)
April 2027: Zoning, Codes, Parking & Regulatory Barriers (Virtual)
May 2027: PlaceMaking as an Economic Development Tool (Virtual)
June 2027: Work Session #1 on Overcoming Hurdles (CNU Congress @ Twin Cities)
July 2027: Downtown Redevelopment (Virtual)
August 2027: Work Session #2 on Overcoming Hurdles (Virtual)
September 2027: TBD
October 2027: Work Session #3 on Overcoming Hurdles (Virtual)
November 2027: Class Presentations on Overcoming Hurdles (Guild Summit)
How to Apply
Click the link below to apply for the 2026 - 2027 Development & Design Leadership Program. Applications will close on August 3rd, and selected applicants will be notified no later than September 1st.