9th Conference in San Francisco

“The best conference on cities.” - Joseph P. Riley, Jr., former Mayor, Charleston, SC

“The most important continuous conference dialogue on making the world's cities and towns more livable for all of their inhabitants.”
- Dr. Sven von Ungern-Sternberg, former Mayor, Freiburg, Germany

“I know of no other conference which provides the international expertise.”
- Sylvia Sutherland, former Mayor, City of Peterborough, Ontario

“The Conference holds a magnifying glass to the world’s best cities, revealing why and how they work.”
- Benjamin Thompson, FAIA, AIA Gold Medalist

“Love for our cities unites all of us in this unique, impressive conference, with participants from different countries, with different professional backgrounds, but with one purpose: making our cities more livable.”
- Antonio Casellati, former Mayor, City of Venice, Italy

“These conferences were and I’m sure are still game changers. My first conference was in around 2003 or 2004 in Sarasota. It was pivotal for me as a new CAO of an Ontario municipality having emerged from the public works and engineering area. It helped to shape our town, Newmarket.”
- Bob Shelton, CAO, Newmarket, Ontario

“I've learned more from this conference than any other conference that I've ever gone to.  I've been a city councillor now for twenty years, and I'm so glad I went to that first one twenty years ago.”
- Kim Richter, City Councillor, Langley, BC

“A truly invigorating event.  I was inspired by being able to connect with so many wonderful people from around the world who are all passionate about the creation of great places."
- James Dougherty, Director of Design, Dover, Kohl & Partners

"The diversity of the audience, the excellent presentations - and importantly, the passion of the movement - have influenced my thinking and next steps.”
- Candance Kokinakis, Ph.D., Sr. Director of Safe Routes to School, Michigan Fitness

“One of the best professional events I have ever attended. Well-structured, extremely well-organized and super-high quality of both the presenters and materials presented.”
- Dr. Mirela Newman, Coordinator, Urban Studies Graduate Program, Southern Connecticut St. University

“The lively exchange of ideas and the opportunity to communicate with colleagues as well as civic decision makers made the sessions extremely successful… Both new and, I am sure, lasting friendships have been formed.”
- Professor Derek Drummond, McDonald Professor of Architecture, Vice Principal, McGill University

“Architects, community organizations, city administrators, planners, urban designers, landscape architects, social scientists and developers committed to making cities livable, all attended. Participants came from places as close as San Francisco and the U.S. Eastern seaboard, to as far away as Samarkand, Russia; Prague, Czech Republic; Germany; The Hague; New Guinea; Switzerland; Australia; Venice, Italy; Austria; United Kingdom; Canada; Belgium; and Hong Kong. These international forums provide the yeast and inspiration to apply ideas to one’s own hometown.”
- M. Elizabeth Martin, Director, San Francisco Beautiful

“Mr. Speaker, I would like to call to the attention of the Members of this body the work of the International Making Cities Livable conference… a forum for hundreds of speakers and participants from 37 states and 11 countries to present ideas.”
- The Hon. Walter E. Fauntroy, U.S. House of Representatives