Why We're Stuck: Housing and the American Dream in ABQ
Join us for a thought-provoking conversation with Yoni Appelbaum, deputy executive editor at The Atlantic and author of Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity. Appelbaum explores how moving in search of opportunity—once central to American life—has become increasingly out of reach for working-class families. Today, many people are no longer moving to where jobs are growing, but to where housing is simply affordable, as housing policy has turned homes into scarce investments. We’ll discuss how mobility, housing, and opportunity are playing out locally in Albuquerque, and potential paths forward. Reception to immediately follow lecture.
Reclaiming Streets for People
Janette Sadik-Khan, Principal at Bloomberg Associates, former Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation, and author of Streetfight: Handbook for an Urban Revolution, shares practical lessons from transforming streets in cities around the world. Drawing on her experience delivering rapid, people-first changes, she will explore how safer walking and biking infrastructure, better transit streets, and more flexible public spaces can improve safety and mobility. The session will outline low-cost pilots and data-driven design as tools to build public support and overcome resistance to change. Sadik-Khan will highlight how Albuquerque can adapt these strategies to its own streets and priorities. Attendees will leave with clear, actionable insights for creating safer and more vibrant streets that better serve people and communities. Reception to immediately follow lecture.
From Policy to Pavement: Advancing Decarbonization Through Smart Development
Join EMNRD (Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department of the State of New Mexico) Deputy Secretary Ben Shelton for an illuminating conversation on decarbonization—the urgent work of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by shifting to cleaner energy, improving efficiency, and reimagining how we power our homes and communities. This session will explore practical strategies for accelerating the energy transition, especially in the places where we live and work.
Deputy Secretary Shelton will share insights into New Mexico’s statewide decarbonization strategy. He will also offer concrete ideas for how communities like Santa Fe can support low-to-moderate-income households in making their homes more energy-efficient, resilient, and climate-friendly.
As Santa Fe undertakes its first major update to the general plan and land use code in decades, this timely session invites us to consider how smart, inclusive development can help build a more sustainable, equitable future—locally and statewide. Reception to immediately follow lecture.
Planting the Rain to Grow Abundance
Join Brad Lancaster, author of Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond and co-founder of NeighborhoodForesters.org, for an inspiring discussion on how simple, low-cost strategies can transform our homes, neighborhoods, and community into thriving oases of abundance. Brad will share practical ways to work with natural systems—harvesting rainwater, reusing greywater, growing shade, building fertile soil, and revitalizing public spaces—to create healthier, more resilient environments. Through compelling real-world examples, you’ll see how hand-built structures have restored wetlands, how sun and shade are harnessed to power homes naturally, and how stormwater can be redirected to grow beauty, food, and community. Brad will highlight how these regenerative practices can shape local development and the land development code. By incentivizing green infrastructure and integrating water-harvesting landscapes into urban design, these approaches support long-term water security, climate resilience, and vibrant public spaces. Reception to immediately follow lecture.
Bridging the Gap: Missing Middle Housing to Strengthen Santa Fe
Join architect, urban designer, and author Daniel Parolek, the visionary behind the "Missing Middle Housing" concept, as he delves into innovative housing solutions tailored to Santa Fe's unique urban landscape. In this session, Parolek will explore a spectrum of small-scale, multi-unit housing types that bridge the gap between single-family homes and large apartment complexes, promoting walkable, diverse, and attainable communities. Drawing from national private and public sector case studies, his extensive experience in zoning reform, and his design innovations with developers, he will provide actionable insights on implementing these housing models to address local affordability challenges and enhance neighborhood vitality. Reception to immediately follow lecture.
Unlocking the City: How Zoning Shapes Santa Fe's Future
Join Sara C. Bronin, architect, attorney, and author of Key to the City: How Zoning Shapes Our World, for a compelling discussion on how zoning quietly—but profoundly—impacts housing, transportation, public spaces, and climate resilience. Drawing from her leadership in Hartford’s award-winning zoning overhaul and her role as founder of the National Zoning Atlas, Bronin will share practical insights and success stories from across the country. As Santa Fe undertakes its first major update to the land development code and general plan in decades, this talk offers a timely opportunity to explore how zoning can support a more livable, inclusive, and sustainable future—shaped by our city’s unique cultural and environmental identity.
Getting Government Working: Success Stories of Public/Private Partnerships to Address the Housing Shortage
Local government plays a critical role in shaping the quality of life for its residents, by delivering everything from lifeline goods and services, to schools and public safety, to safe and affordable housing. George W. “Mac” McCarthy, President and CEO of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, will discuss innovative local efforts where local governments stepped up to help preserve and produce affordable housing. Drawing from his extensive experience working across the nation, McCarthy will share stories that demonstrate how governments have addressed systemic inefficiencies that stall housing development and preservation through new public-private-civic coalitions that produce real results. Reception to immediately follow lecture.
Urbanism and Entrepreneurship: The Role of Small Business in Neighborhood Revitalization
Eric Williams, founder and creative director of The Silver Room—an innovative hub for retail, arts, education, and community events—will share his inspiring work revitalizing Chicago’s South and West Side neighborhoods. By harnessing the transformative power of culture and commerce, Eric has played a key role in driving economic growth and fostering vibrant neighborhoods. As Albuquerque pursues efforts to rejuvenate downtown and other commercial areas, Williams’ insights into development and entrepreneurship will highlight strategies for creating lasting community impact. Reception to immediately follow lecture.
Homelessness is a Housing Problem
Gregg Colburn, associate professor at the University of Washington and co-author of the books Homelessness is a Housing Problem: How Structural Factors Explain U.S. Patterns and Affordable Housing in the United States, will discuss conventional beliefs about what drives homelessness—including mental illness, drug use, poverty, weather, generosity of public assistance, and low-income mobility—and why none of those fully explain the root cause: housing market conditions. Colburn will outline the types of policies that can best help cities like Albuquerque address this issue. Reception to immediately follow lecture.
Addressing the Housing Crisis: Lessons from Minneapolis
The housing crisis impacts us all, but figuring out how to fix it often feels like a tug-of-war. Some say the answer is simple: build more housing to meet demand. Others worry that new, high-cost developments could make things worse. So, how do we move forward when there’s no consensus on the underlying economics?
Heather Worthington, principal at Urban 3 and former Director of Long-Range Planning in Minneapolis, offers a fresh perspective, grounded in her work on the transformative Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan which stimulated significant affordable housing development and has helped keep rents at some of the lowest rates in the country. Reception to immediately follow lecture.
Designing Our City for People Not Cars
Jeff Speck is a city planner and author who advocates internationally for more walkable cities. His 2012 book Walkable City was the best-selling city planning title of the past decade. He is also the principal author of The Smart Growth Manual and Walkable City Rules, and co-author of Suburban Nation. In this session, Speck will discuss ways car-centric cities like Santa Fe can become more walkable, bikeable, and connected. He will share why urban sprawl is so problematic and key changes that could make our city more pedestrian friendly, sharing replicable successes from across the country and globe. Reception to immediately follow lecture.
Visualizing Density: Designing Santa Fe's Future
Urban designer, editor, and author Julie Campoli will discuss the impact of density on affordable housing, sustainability, and connectivity. Using real examples from Santa Fe and across the country, Campoli will outline how neighborhoods of similar density can either be loved or hated depending on their design. She will offer key insights and suggestions for building the neighborhoods that will serve Santa Fe best in the future. Reception to immediately follow lecture.
Creating and Recreating Santa Fe: Making Room for Innovation Within Tradition
Chris Wilson, the J. B. Jackson Chair of Cultural Landscape Studies, Emeritus, and founding director of the Historic Preservation and Regionalism Program at the University of New Mexico, will discuss how Santa Fe developed its unique regional identity and trademark architectural style, and the benefits and consequences. He will share his perspectives on how Santa Fe can preserve its history and culture amidst continued growth, while also drawing inspiration from the rich repertory of high quality, multifamily house types across the U.S. Sunbelt before World War II, most famously, the example of courtyard apartments. Reception to immediately follow lecture.
Why is Affordable Housing in Such Short Supply?: The Role of Neighborhood Defenders
Katherine Levine Einstein, Associate Professor of Political Science at Boston University and Associate Director at the Initiative on Cities, will discuss how cities derive neighborhood input on new housing projects and how that currently shapes the way our cities grow (or don't). She will share why neighborhood defenders--motivated residents who most often participate in local housing politics--can often contribute to higher housing costs, and the types of reforms that could lead to more representative participation. Reception to immediately follow lecture.
Homelessness is a Housing Problem
Gregg Colburn, associate professor at the University of Washington and co-author of the book Homelessness is a Housing Problem: How Structural Factors Explain U.S. Patterns, will discuss conventional beliefs about what drives homelessness—including mental illness, drug use, poverty, weather, generosity of public assistance, and low-income mobility—and why none of those fully explain the root cause: housing market conditions. Colburn will outline the types of policies that can best help cities like Santa Fe address this issue. Reception to immediately follow lecture.
Planning for Santa Fe’s Future: How to Make Land Use Policies Work for All
Jerusalem Demsas, staff writer at The Atlantic specializing in housing and the economy, will discuss the reasons housing prices keep rising and the ways cities like Santa Fe can strengthen planning and zoning regulations to increase affordability and build community.