PAST LECTURES
Over its near 20-year history, Building a Better Bend has brought a variety of thought leaders and industry experts to Bend to discuss smart growth topics. Here is a sampling of the lectures we’ve done over the years.
2025
May 8, 2025
Retrofitting Bend for a Livable Future
Ellen Dunham-Jones
View the presentation below:
Retrofitting Bend for a Livable Future
Ellen Dunham-Jones
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2024
October 15, 2024
Where will we Live? A Focus on Housing in Central Oregon.
Part 3: Coming Together For Housing
Clark Anderson with Katy Brooks
View the presentation below:
Where will we Live? A Focus on Housing in Central Oregon.
Part 3: Coming Together For Housing
Clark Anderson with Katy Brooks
View the presentation below:
September 12, 2024
Where will we Live? A Focus on Housing in Central Oregon.
Part 2: Innovating Housing Solutions
Michael Eliason & Mark Fretz
View the presentation below:
Where will we Live? A Focus on Housing in Central Oregon.
Part 2: Innovating Housing Solutions
Michael Eliason & Mark Fretz
View the presentation below:
May 9, 2024
Where will we Live? A Focus on Housing in Central Oregon.
Part 1: Homelessness is a Housing Problem
Dr. Gregg Colburn
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Where will we Live? A Focus on Housing in Central Oregon.
Part 1: Homelessness is a Housing Problem
Dr. Gregg Colburn
View the presentation below:
2023
April 18, 2023
Celebrating 50 Years of Oregon's Land Use Laws
Part 1: How Did Oregon Get So Unique?
Jeff Mapes & Robert Liberty
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Celebrating 50 Years of Oregon's Land Use Laws
Part 1: How Did Oregon Get So Unique?
Jeff Mapes & Robert Liberty
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May 23, 2023
Celebrating 50 Years of Oregon's Land Use Laws
Part 2: What Will Bend Be Like for Our Kids Over the Next 25 years?
Saumya Kini & Blaine Merker
View the presentation below:
Celebrating 50 Years of Oregon's Land Use Laws
Part 2: What Will Bend Be Like for Our Kids Over the Next 25 years?
Saumya Kini & Blaine Merker
View the presentation below:
September 26, 2023
Celebrating 50 Years of Oregon's Land Use Laws
Part 3: Beyond the Beyond, Preparing Bend for a Wild Future
Tim Smith & Steven Ames
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Celebrating 50 Years of Oregon's Land Use Laws
Part 3: Beyond the Beyond, Preparing Bend for a Wild Future
Tim Smith & Steven Ames
View the presentation below:
2021
November 8, 2021
Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town
Charles "Chuck" Marohn, Strong Towns
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Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town
Charles "Chuck" Marohn, Strong Towns
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October 14, 2021
Measure What You Value: Teeing Up More Meaningful Planning with an Equity Atlas
Jay Renkens, MIG
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Measure What You Value: Teeing Up More Meaningful Planning with an Equity Atlas
Jay Renkens, MIG
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September 23, 2021
The Rising Tide: Housing, Development and "Messy Cities" in an Era of Extreme Uncertainty and Change
Kevin Klinkenberg, Midtown KC Now
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The Rising Tide: Housing, Development and "Messy Cities" in an Era of Extreme Uncertainty and Change
Kevin Klinkenberg, Midtown KC Now
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May 27, 2021
Top Five Mistakes Cities and States are Making When Implementing Missing Middle Housing
Daniel Parolek, Opticos Design
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Top Five Mistakes Cities and States are Making When Implementing Missing Middle Housing
Daniel Parolek, Opticos Design
View the presentation below:
Building a Better Bend Board Member, Karen Swirsky wrote a review of Daniel's new book, Missing Middle Housing: Thinking Big and Building Small to Respond to Today's Housing Crisis.
Read her thoughts on Daniel's book and purchase through the button below.
Book Review >>
2020
November 10, 2020
Will COVID-19 Permanently Alter Teleworking and Commuting Patterns?
Matt Kittelson & Jorge Barrios, Kittelson & Associates
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Will COVID-19 Permanently Alter Teleworking and Commuting Patterns?
Matt Kittelson & Jorge Barrios, Kittelson & Associates
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October 20, 2020
Streets for Living: How the public realm can transform Bend's growth from good to great.
Blaine Merker, Gehl
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Streets for Living: How the public realm can transform Bend's growth from good to great.
Blaine Merker, Gehl
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2019
November 5, 2019
SLO Growth: A Peer City Conversation with San Luis Obispo Architect, Jim Duffy
August 15, 2019
Redevelopment in the Bend Central District
Avoiding the Pitfalls of Urban Renewal by Michelle Reeves
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May 29, 2019
Drainage & Density: The Forgotten Infrastructure
Presented by Hye Yeong Kwon, Center for Watershed Protection
SLO Growth: A Peer City Conversation with San Luis Obispo Architect, Jim Duffy
August 15, 2019
Redevelopment in the Bend Central District
Avoiding the Pitfalls of Urban Renewal by Michelle Reeves
View the Presentation
May 29, 2019
Drainage & Density: The Forgotten Infrastructure
Presented by Hye Yeong Kwon, Center for Watershed Protection
2018
October 18, 2018
Boulder-Sized Transportation Solutions
Mike Gardner-Sweeney
See Boulder’s Transportation Report Card
View the Presentation
September 26, 2018
Love, Neuroscience & the City
Jeffrey Tumlin
April 23, 2018
Drivers of Innovation
Alex Joyce, Mary Kyle McCurdy and Bruce Warner
Boulder-Sized Transportation Solutions
Mike Gardner-Sweeney
See Boulder’s Transportation Report Card
View the Presentation
September 26, 2018
Love, Neuroscience & the City
Jeffrey Tumlin
April 23, 2018
Drivers of Innovation
Alex Joyce, Mary Kyle McCurdy and Bruce Warner
2017
November 1, 2017
Density, Dollars & Development: The Economics of Land Use in Bend
Joe Minicozzi
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April 10, 2017
Solving Bend’s Missing Middle Housing Puzzle
Daniel Parolek
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Density, Dollars & Development: The Economics of Land Use in Bend
Joe Minicozzi
View the presentation
April 10, 2017
Solving Bend’s Missing Middle Housing Puzzle
Daniel Parolek
View the presentation
2016
November 1, 2016
Bend Grows UP, Part 3: Developer Strategies
Tom Cody and Alex Joyce
October 20, 2016
Bend Grows UP, Part 2: Removing barriers and mobilizing a vision
Derick O’ Neill
May 19, 2016
Bend Grows UP, Part 1: Understanding vertical development and its impact on our city
Katherine Schultz
Bend Grows UP, Part 3: Developer Strategies
Tom Cody and Alex Joyce
October 20, 2016
Bend Grows UP, Part 2: Removing barriers and mobilizing a vision
Derick O’ Neill
May 19, 2016
Bend Grows UP, Part 1: Understanding vertical development and its impact on our city
Katherine Schultz
2015
July 16, 2015
Central Oregon Trends and Opportunities to 2040: Implications for housing, transportation & economic development
Dr. Arthur C. Nelson
March 18, 2015
Moving Beyond the Automobile: Multi-Modal Planning
Chris Comeau
Central Oregon Trends and Opportunities to 2040: Implications for housing, transportation & economic development
Dr. Arthur C. Nelson
March 18, 2015
Moving Beyond the Automobile: Multi-Modal Planning
Chris Comeau
2014
November 11, 2014
Accessory Dwellings: Petite, Discreet & Affordable Homes
Eli Spevak
October 10, 2014
Introductory lecture for the Green & Solar Home Tour
Jim Sallis
July 17, 2014
Moving to the Future: Envisioning Better Public Transit for Central Oregon
Todd Litman
Accessory Dwellings: Petite, Discreet & Affordable Homes
Eli Spevak
October 10, 2014
Introductory lecture for the Green & Solar Home Tour
Jim Sallis
July 17, 2014
Moving to the Future: Envisioning Better Public Transit for Central Oregon
Todd Litman
2013
November 14, 2013
Parking Plays a Big Part: Creating Great Business Districts
Rick Williams
October 17, 2013
Prospects for Collaboration: Common Opportunities for a Small City Campus
David Bagnoli
September 25, 2013
Pocket Neighborhoods: Creating Small-Scale Community in a Large-Scale World
Ross Chapin
Parking Plays a Big Part: Creating Great Business Districts
Rick Williams
October 17, 2013
Prospects for Collaboration: Common Opportunities for a Small City Campus
David Bagnoli
September 25, 2013
Pocket Neighborhoods: Creating Small-Scale Community in a Large-Scale World
Ross Chapin