We may be trapped in our houses still due a failing federal government, but that doesn’t mean we can’t connect with our fellow urbanists to learn, to organize, and to advocate for a more just and livable city. We have three events that we proud to be part of in September that we hope will help you join us.
Defining Community Safety – Monday, August 31st, 5:30 – 7:00pm
Join Seattle Neighborhood Greenways for a community conversation with Aaron Dixon, founding member and Captain of the Seattle chapter of the Black Panther Party, and Peaches Thomas, Duwamish Valley Safe Streets Community Organizer. We’ll discuss community ownership of public space, how we define community safety, and community alternatives to policing.
The conversation between Aaron Dixon and Peaches Thomas will run from 5:30 to 6:30pm, followed by attendee questions and dialogue (6:30 – 7:00pm). The event will be recorded and available in the days that follow. Closed captioning is available live and a full transcript will be made available after the event. This event is co-sponsored by Disability Rights Washington, Feet First, Sierra Club Seattle Group, Transit Riders Union, Transportation Choices Coalition, and The Urbanist.
This event is open to the public. Please invite your friends and others who may be interested. Register here for Zoom link. More information can be found here.
The Urbanist Monthly Meetup Featuring Kirsten Harris-Talley, State House Candidate in the 37th – Tuesday, September 8th, 6:15 – 7:30pm
Please join us September 8th from 6:15 to 7:30pm for our monthly online meetup featuring Kirsten Harris-Talley, who is running for to represent the 37th district (South Seattle) in the state legislature.
Harris-Talley is an activist, community educator and queer, black mom; she has been building movements for change and healing for 20 years. She is active in the #BlocktheBunker and #NoNewYouthJail movements for police accountability and ending incarceration. She was also a founding board member of Surge Reproductive Justice and a founding circle member of Black & Tan Hall. Kirsten recently served as the Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Washington. She was also briefly a member of the Seattle City Council where she helped pass the original progressive tax to fund housing.
She is running for State Representative in the Seattle 37th District to bring her advocacy and her neighbor’s solutions to the halls of Olympia. She has been endorsed by Congresswoman Jayapal, Seattle City Councilmembers Morales, Gonzalez, Lewis, and Juarez, The Stranger, 350 Seattle, Seattle Subway, and The Urbanist among others.
More information can be found here. Zoom link to come.
Shane Phillips, Author of the book, The Affordable City. Thursday, September 24th, 12pm – 1pm
Join Share The Cites and The Urbanist in welcoming Shane Phillips to a Seattle-centered discussion about Shane’s book The Affordable City. This is a Lunch & Learn!
12pm – Intros & Meet & Greet
12:15pm – Author presentation
12:30pm – Question and answer
1pm – Wrap up & Social Time
This is a chance to wonk out with wonky friends and learn more about the forces making our cities unaffordable.
The Affordable City: Strategies for Putting Housing Within Reach (and Keeping it There)
Synopsis: “From Los Angeles to Boston and Chicago to Miami, US cities are struggling to address the twin crises of high housing costs and household instability. Debates over the appropriate course of action have been defined by two poles: building more housing or enacting stronger tenant protections. These options are often treated as mutually exclusive, with support for one implying opposition to the other. Shane Phillips believes that effectively tackling the housing crisis requires that cities support both tenant protections and housing abundance. He offers readers more than 50 policy recommendations, beginning with a set of principles and general recommendations that should apply to all housing policy. The remaining recommendations are organized by what he calls the Three S’s of Supply, Stability, and Subsidy. Phillips makes a moral and economic case for why each is essential and recommendations for making them work together. There is no single solution to the housing crisis—it will require a comprehensive approach backed by strong, diverse coalitions. The Affordable City is an essential tool for professionals and advocates working to improve affordability and increase community resilience through local action.”
More information can be found here.
Patrick grew up across the Puget Sound from Seattle and used to skip school to come hang out in the city. He is an designer at a small architecture firm with a strong focus on urban infill housing. He is passionate about design, housing affordability, biking, and what makes cities so magical. He works to advocate for abundant and diverse housing options and for a city that is a joy for people on bikes and foot. He and his family live in the Othello neighborhood.