A talk about the philosophical underpinnings of the cities and buildings we have in the US, starting with the emergence of modernity in the late 1800s to today. How did we fall for Le Corbusier's modernist idea that "the house is a machine for living in"? How can we sidestep postmodern cynicism by the likes of Peter Eisenman? How can we move towards a new narrative, led by New Urbanists, where home is a machine for flourishing in? Features examples from the US of effective top down city planning policies.

Technologists who want to become more fluent in the language of architects and urban designers are encouraged to attend.

Julie Ann Nepomuceno is an architectural designer turned marketing manager, spreading the good word about walkable neighborhoods at Opticos Design.

Her life mission is to design environments to thrive in, starting with her home, a cottage court in a walkable neighborhood with her daughter, her older sibling, his service dog, and 20 hermit crabs. She has a BA in Architecture from UC Berkeley and eight years of experience at small, traditional architecture firms.