The World’s Only Leadership Event Dedicated to Sustainable & Equitable Neighborhood- and District-scale Development

Each year, the Summit gathers leading city makers, policy makers, developers, designers, financiers, and community leaders from North America and beyond to collaborate, explore, and inspire the next generation of neighborhood development. We focus on projects, professionals and advocates who are passionate about the interconnected issues of equity, resilience, climate action, health, placemaking, connectivity, economic opportunity and regenerative design. We’ve been privileged to bring the Summit to some of the country’s most innovative cities, including Portland, Boston, Washington D.C., Denver, Atlanta, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Pittsburgh.

Why Attend?

Reason #1: Cities are in Desperate Need of Solutions
We created the Eco Districts Summit as a direct response to the mounting pressures on cities to make effective investments that address the stark and growing opportunity gap while simultaneously tackling the devastating effects of climate change. As millions of people continue to move to urban areas, cities across the world are expected to spend $30 trillion over the next 20 years to revitalize existing neighborhoods, build new mixed-use commercial districts, and improve critical water, energy, and transportation systems.

Reason #2: We Pull Together Dynamic and Interactive Programing to Advance Integrative Urban & Community Development Solutions
Now in its ninth year, the Summit has earned a reputation as a highly experiential, interactive, diverse and inspirational leadership experience that forged cross-sector connections and elevated district-scale best practices among practitioners worldwide. The Summit program is designed so that each participant is engaged in hands-on workshops and thoughtful conversations to generate core ideas that advance cutting edge projects. This participatory experience allows all who attend to take home lessons that are grounded in history, context, experiences and aspirations for urban regeneration and community driven, equitable development.

Reason #3: We Curate Distinct Voices, Stories and Lived Experiences
The EcoDistricts Summit provides team a unique opportunity to bring a diverse and inspiring number of leaders together to share their stories and expertise in an intimate and human- scaled setting. Since 2010, the Summit has been bringing together civic, public and private sector leaders developing forward thinking solutions for neighborhood, brownfield, and institutional and corporate campus scale revitalization and development. This work includes passionate professionals and advocates spanning municipal government, architecture, design, engineering, urban planning, sustainable development, civic engagement, community and economic development, and infrastructure design.

Reason #4: We Get Out into the City, Warts and All
We dedicate ¼ of the Summit to “in the field” Studios designed to better understand our host city’s urban redevelopment legacy, explore innovative projects, highlight important breakthroughs, and unpack opportunities to innovate. The Studios lean into the wisdom of our local host committee and participants in generating blunt and honest dialogue and “crowdsourcing” proposed shared solutions that advance local work.

Reason #5: Don’t Take Our Word…
The Summit is in service to urban changemakers. After doing this for a decade, we’ve learned a thing or two from our attendees and speakers and are grateful for the feedback:

What people are saying about the EcoDistricts Summit:

“The EcoDistricts Summit convenes the most diverse, dynamic group of attendees I have ever seen at any conference, anywhere.”

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“The focus on racial equity and justice in designing urban and community development solutions is critical — was pleased to see the Summit tackle this issue head on”
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“I loved the interaction of the studio sessions and being intentionally drawn into the conversations.”

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“The plenary sessions all asked thought-provoking questions and we could tell they did their homework. Some of the best panels I’ve ever seen.”

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“Each Summit session taught me something new. That is rare.”

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“I plan to stay in touch with the colleagues I met at the Summit, many of whom are leading inspiring projects in cities around the country”

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“There were many benefits to being at this Summit. It’s about professional growth and how to interconnect with different disciplines to play one beautiful song, which is building a happy city!”

Explore Past Summits