Urban De-Code

ENU Urban De-Codes dive deep into the essence of city spaces, unraveling neighborhoods unique stories and hidden dynamics. Join us as we explore and de-code the rich layers of urban life, revealing what makes each neighborhood distinct and thriving

How an Urban De-Code works?

Urban De-Codes are mini-conferences in which emerging professionals, students, and other city advocates can unpack the processes that create developments, improvements, and policies in a particular city.

To de-code urbanism means delving into the intricate layers of urban environments, analyzing how urban spaces function, how they impact their inhabitants, and how thoughtful design and community engagement can enhance our collective experience of city life.Projects highlighted include particular developments, city-wide codes, street improvement projects, and more.

Attendees have the opportunity to explore these concepts with like-minded individuals and network with professionals, fostering meaningful connections and collaborative insights into the future of urban development.

WHEN AND WHERE?

Urban De-Codes occur throughout the year in our established hubs—cities with a strong ENU presence. These cities include: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco and Washington D.C. Would you like an Urban De-Code in your city? Email us to get started.

Exploring Our Goals

For ENU, Urban De-Code and the ideas it sparks are powerful catalysts for future engagement. It marks the beginning of inviting emerging professionals to the table, providing them with educational opportunities, and connecting them with peers and mentors. Urban De-Code also serves as a platform for those within and adjacent to the New Urbanist movement to network with fellow professionals and advocates.

Fostering a Thriving Community

What happens when groups of passionate individuals from across the country gather with the opportunity to talk about any and all New-Urbanism-adjacent topics? How can emerging professionals in real estate, planning, urban design, landscape architecture, economics, transportation, and architecture contribute to the ever-evolving movement of New Urbanism? What can come of individuals being inspired by the passion projects, initiatives, and studies of others?

At the ENU Urban De-Code, inaugurated October of 2021, we ask these questions of ourselves. The takeaways? Education and empowerment. Learning motivates us and exploring inspires us.

Saturday October 3 is Urban De-Code Boston! Join the Emerging New Urbanists (ENU) and spend the day exploring the forces shaping Boston’s urban environment. We’ll kick off with a morning transect walk commencing at Faneuil Hall and ending in the Seaport, unpacking how changes in density, land use, transportation, public space, and neighborhood character reveal the city’s evolution. From there, we’ll dive deeper through a workshop on a transportation corridor and a neighborhood currently undergoing redesign. We’ll end the day with an informal happy hour and dinner.

Urban De-Code Boston October 3,2026

Urban De-Code DMV September 12&13, 2026

Join us & "De-Code" transformative projects alongside the visionaries behind them.

Urban De-Code DMV is an immersive, two-day experience exploring how housing, density, and urban design shape neighborhoods across the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region.

Mark your calendars for September 12-13, 2026!

Blending a guided workshop with an on-the-ground walking tour, this program invites participants to examine the full spectrum of housing, from single-family homes to mid-rise and mixed-use development through the lens of the “missing middle.” Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how thoughtful design and planning strategies can introduce density while maintaining neighborhood character.

The experience begins with a collaborative session at Torti Gallas + Partners in Washington, DC, followed by a guided exploration into Arlington, VA via the Washington Metro. Along the way, participants will engage directly with real-world examples of housing diversity, learning to “read” the built environment and better understand how density works in practice.

Day two shifts into a hands-on urban walk audit in Washington, DC, where participants will analyze an existing neighborhood and sketch ideas for improving walkability, housing integration, and the public realm.

Whether you’re a planner, designer, developer, student, or simply curious about the future of Urban Design in the DMV area, Urban De-Code DMV offers a unique opportunity to explore, observe, and reimagine the region’s evolving urban fabric.