About the West Coast Urban District Forum
Join the Downtown Reno Partnership, California Downtown Association and IDA for the 2022 West Coast Urban District Forum, June 15-17, 2022. This year’s theme, Moving into Recovery, will explore how urban place management organizations are working towards balancing the ever-changing nature of public life in the downtown core. This event will focus on economic development strategies and ways to bring people back through placemaking and activations whether for work or pleasure. Attendees will dive deep into discussions around public safety, mental health and homelessness. Join IDA and CDA in Reno, Nevada and reunite with your peers sharing solutions and tools for a stronger tomorrow.
The Downtown Reno Partnership is a 501c6 nonprofit business improvement district founded in 2018. Its core purpose is to make downtown Reno a safer, cleaner, friendlier district for residents and visitors. The Downtown Reno Partnership is an entity funded by downtown-area property assessments and contributions. Those funds pay for operations, street maintenance administered by Reno Public Works, extra downtown Reno Police officers, Ambassadors, marketing and economic development.
Attend the Event
Online registration is now closed for the 2022 West Coast Urban District Forum. You may register on-site at the Whitney Peak Hotel at 255 North Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada 89501, June 15-17, 2022. On-site registration times and rates:
- Wednesday, June 15, 2022: Noon-5:00 pm
- Thursday, June 16, 2022: 7:30 am-10:30 am
- Friday, June 17, 2022: 8:00 am-10:00 am
- On-site Registration Rate: $445
- On-site Registration Rate for Thursday, June 16, 2022 only: $275
- On-site Registration Rate for Friday, June 17, 2022 only: $225
All prices above are in USD.
Payment Methods: For your convenience, payments may be made by Visa, MasterCard or American Express. Should you need to pay by check, you will not be able to complete registration online. Please email registration@downtown.org for assistance.
Adding a Pre-Conference Tour: Please note, the pre-conference tours sell out quickly. Therefore, it is advisable to add these items at the time of your registration. If you are registering for someone else or a group, please find out their selection prior to registering them. Although each person within the group can purchase a tour after they have been registered, they run the risk of the tour no longer being available. If a tour is sold out, you can be waitlisted by contacting registration department at registration@downtown.org.
Cancellation Policy: Written notice of cancellation is required. Cancellations received via email by Wednesday, May 25, 2022, will receive a refund less a $100 processing fee. Cancellations received via email after Wednesday, May 25, 2022, will not be refunded. Refunds will be processed approximately 30 days after the event. Please email the cancellation notification to the International Downtown Association at registration@downtown.org.
Substitutions: Substitutions of complete registrations (including tours and workshops) are gladly accepted prior to the event start date. Please submit a written request to registration@downtown.org before May 25, 2022 to complete your substitution. Only one substitution is permitted per original registrant and must be transferred to an individual in your organization. The individual submitting the substitution request is responsible for all financial obligations (any balance due) associated with that substitution.
As an IDA / CDA event participant, you have agreed to the IDA Event Agreement and Code of Conduct; IDA Guidelines and Protocols; and IDA Attendee Assumption of Risk, Waiver and Release Form.
IDA and CDA place the highest priority on the health and safety of our members, partners and colleagues. With the current COVID-19 variants, we are proactively addressing concerns regarding COVID-19 protocols for the event. IDA and CDA will be asking all attendees, exhibitors, sponsors, volunteers and/or staff to provide documentation proof of their COVID – 19 “full vaccination.” Those who are unable to provide proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 will be asked to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within seventy-two (72) hours upon entry of the event. We encourage all attendees to respect the protocols and your fellow participants’ health and safety while joining us for this gathering.
The Program
Preview the agenda here (program is subject to change). Get social! What questions will you come ready to ask? Share them on Twitter #WCUDF22.
To access available presentation slides from the WCUDF22 event, please click here.
2022 Keynote Speakers
President, University of Nevada, Reno
Brian Sandoval was appointed the 17th president of the University on September 17, 2020 by the Nevada System of Higher Education’s Board of Regents. He is the first person of Hispanic origin as well as the first alumnus to serve as president in University history. Since his appointment, President Brian Sandoval has launched a number of key initiatives stressing a long-term collaborative commitment to meet the ever-changing needs of Nevada. During President Sandoval’s tenure, key achievements have included Collegiate Academies, Sierra Nevada University partnership, Digital Wolf Pack Initiative, Guinn Center affiliation and the Renown affiliation agreement. Previously, Sandoval was president of global gaming development for MGM Resorts International, served two terms as the 29th Governor of the State of Nevada from 2011-2019. Prior to that, he was appointed United States District Judge for the District of Nevada, becoming the state’s first Hispanic federal judge.
2022 Master Talks
Brad Carney, Artist and Educator,
Brad Carney Studios, LLC
Brad Carney has created works for the community-based public for over twenty years. His aesthetic emphasizes rhythm, motion, and playfulness with lines, colors, and compositions. Each project can create powerful human connections. Brad has worked as a teaching artist and internship coordinator for Mural Arts Philadelphia, the world’s most extensive creative public art program, and has witnessed the power of public art to foster deep relationships in the communities they serve. His recent murals have been inspired by abstract interpretations of sound and movement in our environment, neighborhood architectural transition, and the cultural identity of communities. He feels the artwork reflects our history, discusses our present, and reimagines a future together.
Ishmael Nuñez, Director of Community and Placemaking,
BDS Planning & Urban Design
Ishmael Nuñez is an urban planner living in Seattle, WA. He positions himself as an adept facilitator, collaborator, and educator with experience in supporting organizational efforts at the intersection of racial equity and placemaking. Having led workshops locally and nationally for his work on culturally responsive placemaking, Ishmael seeks to create environments for people with diverse experiences to learn from one another and build relationships. He currently works as the Director of Community and Placemaking for BDS Planning.
Derek Kirk, Community-Based Solutions Supervisor,
California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz)
Derek Kirk is a millennial, engagement expert, community advocate and proud Californian. Derek currently serves as the Community-Based Solutions Supervisor for the California Governor’s Office of Business & Economic Development (GO-Biz). In this capacity, he is responsible for establishing a new team within GO-Biz that will work directly with local economic development practitioners and community-based organizations as they work to strategize and implement more equitable communities and economies. He manages a team of regionally based coordinators and issue specific staff across California’s 13 economic regions. His personal mission is to build better systems to strengthen local communities. He is passionate about local issues and spends much of his time listening to community leaders express their ideas and brainstorming how to get more people to pull up a chair and share.
Carmen Zella, Founder & Chief Curator, NOW Art
At the forefront of democratizing and revolutionizing public art, Los Angeles-based Carmen Zella is a creative thought leader, renowned art curator and producer. Zella’s progressive approach intersects art, architecture, technology and culture. With an instinct for collaborating with new, emerging and internationally acclaimed artists, like Refik Anadol, Nancy Baker Cahill and others, Zella’s artistic style reflects the era of the artist and the cultural pulse of communities. Zella’s 2021 LUMINEX: Dialogues of Light (Los Angeles) was most recently recognized with a Best of the City Award, as well as revered with a TEDx Talk on ‘The healing power of public art.’ This site specific, immersive, outdoor digital art exhibition illuminated Zella’s vision to bring artwork out of the four walls and into the streets for all to experience. Zella is also a CODAworx 2022 Creative Revolutionary.
Hotel
The Whitney Peak Hotel, located at 255 North Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada 89501, is offering a rate of $109/night plus tax for a standard room for WCUDF22 attendees. Please book your room by Monday, May 23, 2022 online. Valet parking is available for $10/night for overnight hotel guests.
The Whitney Peak Hotel is centrally located to downtown Reno, just two blocks from the beautiful Truckee River Walk and adjacent to the historic Reno Arch. Featuring panoramic views of the Sierra’s, our accommodations are a relaxing spot to call home. Whitney Peak Hotel Basecamp’s 7,000-square-foot indoor competition level bouldering park is home of the Guinness Book of World Record’s “World’s Tallest Artificial Climbing Wall” and Outside Magazine’s 12 Best Hotel Gyms in the US. The hotel is also a short and scenic 45-minute drive to the world class playground that is Lake Tahoe!
Don’t be Scammed by Third Party Housing Companies
The official hotel and overflow properties (if applicable) are listed above. Please beware of other companies soliciting hotel room “deals” over the dates of the event. Third party housing companies typically offer a higher rate than the official block rate. These company’s cancellation polices are often harsh and unforgiving. IDA / CDA are not working with any third parties to offer attendees accommodations! If you receive a solicitation and are unsure whether or not it is legitimate, please contact Lul Teklit at lul@downtown.org.
SPONSORED BY
Urban Champion
District Advocates
Ambassadors
Sponsorship
Sponsoring the West Coast Urban District Forum allows you access to an audience of urban leaders from around the country who want to learn how your product or service can work for them. Download the 2022 Marketing Opportunities PDF to review sponsorship packages that were offered and plan ahead. Contact Tracie Clemmer, IDA Director of Corporate Relations, at tracie@downtown.org for more information about sponsoring the Spring 2022 Forum.
Join the California Downtown Association
New members pay only $50 in CDA membership dues for the remainder of 2022 when they attend WCUDF (new members only). Download the application form and read all the details by clicking here.
Questions?
For assistance or further information about the conference, please contact the IDA registration team.