CoLA: Review-Overview-Preview

The upcoming November meeting of the AIA-Southwestern Oregon Chapter, which will occur this coming Wednesday, November 28, will feature a presentation by the members of the AIA-SWO Eugene-Springfield Committee on Local Affairs (CoLA), along with special guest Will Dowdy, Urban Development Manager for the City of Eugene. 

The presentation’s objectives will include the following: 

• Building awareness of AIA advocacy at the national, state, and local levels, the mechanisms for each, and the strength of professional associations in advocating for positive outcomes on issues that benefit from the expertise of design professionals.
• Reviewing the adopted AIA federal policy agenda, released earlier this month. The policy agenda includes affordable housing and expanded tax credits, sustainability and tax incentives for retrofits, school safety design, student loan debt forgiveness for architectural graduates, resilience design and disaster response, and tax repeal on foreign entities.
• Reviewing the history and mission of CoLA. The committee’s areas of emphasis have included various issues of local importance to AIA-SWO, and advocacy for positions of common professional interest. 
• Introducing the current members of CoLA, who will be on hand to answer questions and lead the evening’s presentation. 
• Calling for those who may be interested in being a member of CoLA during the coming year. 
• Conducting an overview of selected CoLA issues during 2018. These have included the affordable housing crisis, the work of Better Housing Together (BHT) in moving toward solutions to that crisis, and support for and participation in the community forum BHT hosted; monitoring the River Road corridor planning work and City of Eugene efforts to increase density along that major transit corridor; and support for careful planning in the redesign of the Park Blocks as part of a newly imagined Town Square (including publishing an op-ed piece in The Register-Guard and another here on my blog). 
• Previewing what CoLA plans to focus upon during 2019. 

The meeting will also feature a presentation by Will Dowdy on the subject of the City of Eugene’s proposed Town Square project (Park Blocks, year-round Farmers’ Market, and new City Hall) and how AIA-SWO members may contribute to its design. He’ll report on the status of the current RFQ/RFP selection process, the timeline for key decisions by City Council, and the goals for a proposed peer design review process. 

There will be plenty of time during the chapter meeting for questions and discussion. As one of the current CoLA members, I encourage you to attend and let me and my fellow committee members know your thoughts. We’ve tried to be proactive and visible during 2018. Our hope is to carry our momentum into 2019, bring aboard new blood and energy, and continue to be relevant advocates for design excellence in the service of ensuring the Eugene-Springfield community enjoys a healthy, inclusive, and livable future. 

What:               AIA-Southwestern Oregon November Chapter Meeting 

When:              Wednesday, November 28, 2018; 5:30 – 7:30 PM 

Where:             The Loft at Turtles, 2690 Willamette St, Eugene (enter off 27th Ave) 

Cost:                No meeting charge. Food/beverages at cost from Turtles menu. 

CEU:                (1.00) AIA LU