ReNext city logono Tahoe YPN Board Members had the pleasure last week of dining with Next City Vanguard 2015 conference attendees.

This mix of young (under 40) urban planners, thought leaders and influencers converged on Reno to see how we are becoming a Next City. They toured our downtown, Midtown, Start Up Row, 4th Street and presented ideas for how to create more strategic multi-use public spaces at the Big Idea Challenge on Thursday evening.

Our group had the opportunity to serve as ambassadors and take a few attendees to various restaurants downtown. It gave us the chance to tell them what we love about our Biggest Little City. We got the chance to see our city through the eyes of people with their pulse of how cities are changing in strategic and innovative ways. The conversation was fresh and interesting.

Here is Next City’s honest evaluation of Reno’s current status:
http://nextcity.org/features/view/reno-tech-industry-start-up-row-jobs-casinos

And here is a conference attendees take away from touring Reno:
http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/next-city-2015-vanguard-reno-photos

Some of the attendees have done really cool stuff in their respective cities, around the country and the world.

Highlights include:
Matt Tomasulo, the civic instigator and Urban Designer behind Walk [Your City]. This company uses simple signs to encourage urban pedestrians. This company, founded in Raleigh, NC, helps cities provide walking signs to give people directions and estimated walking times between points of interest. Simple idea, huge impact and global reach. Check it out here: https://walkyourcity.org