YIMBY conference in Boulder

[Cirrus]

There's going to be a dedicated pro-more-housing-density "YIMBY" conference in Boulder in June. It's a gathering of smart growth advocates from across the US to talk specifically about building a policy/legal framework and popular support for more urban housing.

Some of my friends from DC/GGWash will be attending, plus well-known density advocates like the Market Urbanism guy and Sonja Trauss from SF. The conference is in Boulder specifically because Boulder is such a lion's den of NIMBYism.

You should go.

YIMBYtown conference website

Citylab article about it

[bunt_q]

They should advertise that they are putting it in Boulder specifically for that reason. When I first read about it, I logically assumed it was the usual "Boulder-types pretending to be progressive about planning stuff" BS.

[bunt_q]

I should see how it's organized - are there panels and whatnot? Of course, our problem in Colorado isn't just needing more housing - first, we need to legalize the 20% of the market that should be for-sale multi family housing. Our Speaker of the House - from Boulder, of course - just killed a bill that would do that for the third consecutive year. I wonder, is anybody doing a panel on condos in Colorado? Do they want to? We could organize that.

[Agent Orange]

I just read about this earlier in the week via the MU website. I'm pretty sure I'm going to go. It's only $100 to attend. I don't work in design or planning and I am a new CO resident, but I like your idea, bunt, about a discussion/panel on the condo litigation law. When I looked at the conference website, it sounds like they're far from finalizing the organization of speakers and sessions. I think if someone reached out to them they'd be able to facilitate that being a topic.

[Cirrus]

My understanding is it's an unconference like Transportation Camp. If you want to do a session, you just show up and pitch it on the spot. Make it a panel if you want, or a seminar, or whatever. But I'd email to confirm that before arriving if I were you.

Anyway I can't speak to the Boulder attendees, although I do know Will Toor came out strong against the NIMBY vote during the referendum. But the east and west coasters attending are legit.

[The Dirt]

There’s AURA in Austin, the San Francisco Bay Area Renters Federation in San Francisco, Greater Greater Washington in Washington, D.C., and many others.

Hahaha! BARF! Brilliant! Denver needs a similarly clever title for a pro urbanism group. I really hope someone brings up New Urbanism and how it's implementation is so typically half hearted. Much like BRT tends to simply be enhanced bus.

[Cirrus]

They have some keynote speakers, but the real driver of attendance is the topic itself and the other attendees. This won't be a 10,000 person mega conference. More likely it'll be a few hundred.

Here's the Wikipedia page for unconferences. Basically, at the beginning of the conference they ask people who want to run sessions to write their ideas on piece of paper, then during the first session (usually a keynote or something that involves everyone) an organizer lays out the topics onto a big board that acts as the schedule for the rest of the conference (see photo below).

Some people prepare powerpoints or multi-person panels ahead of time with the intention of doing panels. Other people just jot down ideas and have an open discussion.

Unlike big conferences put on by associations, where the main idea is really to make money for the association, unconferences are usually more about the exchange of ideas and networking.


photo from TransportationCamp.org

[TakeFive]

So, outside of Dan Keshet, AURA, Austin, TX everybody else is from a "Coastal" city. Hard to say how that plays in bucolic Boulder?

Originally Posted by bunt_q

Our Speaker of the House - from Boulder, of course - just killed a bill that would do that for the third consecutive year. I wonder, is anybody doing a panel on condos in Colorado? Do they want to? We could organize that.

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/bl...n-defects.html

Colorado business leaders’ consolation prize for their failed negotiations to put together a package of construction-defects reform bills this year may be a legislatively sanctioned study group that will recommend by March a way that future General Assemblies could move forward on the issue.

Other than a conceptual discussion, it would seem they've taken the issue off the table until March.

Obviously both sides are gearing up for a fun, fun election in November.

[Scottk]

Damn I would love to attend this, seeing how I still have a Boulder address.




But fuck this 100$ bullshit







I can eat breakfast with bottomless mimosas 3x for that price

[RyanD]

^

Sometimes you just have to sacrifice Sunday Funday, and day drinking wastey face for these things....

[bunt_q]

Millennials don't sacrifice. I bet every single person at that conference is one ScottK's dreaded 30+ Democrats. Particularly if the conference is scheduled to start before 11:00am.

Also, any event that costs $100 is likely to be a secret confab for the crooked establishment. Were it a pure, just cause, it would be free. All of the best things in life should be free.

[seventwenty]

That time where you don't know if bunt is also making fun of Wizend.