Shaping the Context: Design Leadership + Community Change
On Thursday, November 5th, from 6-7:30 pm, Mayor of Eugene, Oregon – Kaarin Knudson – will join us to share her work across urban design, housing advocacy, and elected leadership in service of a more livable community.
Tickets are $15 and include local appetizers as well as local wine and beer.
WHAT
Architect, educator, and elected official Kaarin Knudson will join us to share her unique perspective on how design leadership, community collaboration, and public policy can work together to address some of today’s most pressing challenges.
As a longtime housing advocate and founder of the public-interest project Better Housing Together, Mayor Knudson has been instrumental in the creation of the City of Eugene’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, Lane County’s first Affordable Housing Action Plan, and Oregon’s landmark middle housing reforms.
Mayor Knudson’s presentation will explore:
- How community advocacy can shape housing and land use policy: Lessons from Eugene’s housing initiatives, including middle housing reforms, affordable housing funding, and collaborative approaches to addressing housing shortages.
- Why cross-sector collaboration is essential to lasting change: How architects, planners, elected officials, housing advocates, and residents can work together to advance shared goals around housing affordability, sustainability, and community well-being.
- How individuals can turn ideas into meaningful action: Practical insights into building coalitions, navigating public policy, and using professional expertise and community engagement to influence local decisions.
Whether you’re a design professional, housing advocate, policymaker, student, or community member interested in the future of San Luis Obispo, this conversation offers an opportunity to explore communities can foster collective action to respond complex challenges.
WHO
Kaarin Knudson
Mayor Kaarin Knudson, AIA is an architect, writer, and educator with more than 25 years’ experience in design, sustainability, and community building. In 2024, she was elected as Eugene’s 40th mayor with 73% of the primary vote and 96% in the general election.
Trained as a journalist before becoming an architect, her work has always focused on people and place. In her first 18 months in office, the production of affordable housing in Eugene has increased 172%; Downtown public safety metrics have improved by double digits; and she was invited to participate in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative with 45 mayors from around the world.
Prior to taking office, Knudson led award-winning civic projects from the interior to urban design scales. In 2017, she organized the public-interest project “Better Housing Together” to address Lane County’s housing crisis, which included advising on the creation of Oregon’s landmark middle housing reforms, negotiating the creation of Eugene’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, and building Lane County’s Affordable Housing Action Plan.
Knudson teaches urban design and housing policy at the University of Oregon, and she coauthored The Sustainable Urban Design Handbook (Routledge, 2024). She speaks at national and international conferences about sustainable cities, housing policy, and the work of guiding community change.
DETAILS
November 5th, 2026
Doors open at 5:45 p.m. event starts at 6:15 p.m.
Tickets include snacks and drinks
The Penny
664 Marsh St, Downtown San Luis Obispo
Bike parking available on site, Marsh St. garage is recommended for car parking
Scholarships are available. Please email buildingabetterslo@gmail.com for more information.
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