Sharing Boulder

For episode fifty, I spoke with Glenda Russell who is a historian of the LGBTQ movement as it has unfolded here in Boulder and Colorado and beyond. Glenda has had a long career as a clinical psychologist, educator, and writer and has a PhD in psychology from the University of Colorado at Boulder (’84). We talked about the struggle to get ‘sexual orientation’ included in Boulder’s human rights ordinance which was added in 1987 by means of a ballot measure that won by a very small margin after a similar ballot measure was crushed thirteen years earlier. This story includes […]

For episode forty-nine, I spoke with Ren Q. Dawe who is a trans activist, comedian, writer, and educator who lives and works in Boulder and has been performing his comedy all over the front range. I have mentioned a few times in passing that I enjoy performing comedy, but I’ve never said much else about it on this podcast. So, it was especially fun for me to have a chance to explore the world-changing power of comedy with Ren in this interview. This episode features significantly more swearing and adult-oriented content than most Sharing Boulder episodes and may not be […]

For episode forty-eight, I spoke with Sarah Wells who is a partner in the real estate agency Live Work Denver which specializes in co-buying real estate which is simply a way to buy homes with other people. Sarah is one of the founders of the Queen City Cooperative and is the Board Chair for the Boulder Housing Coalition which is a non-profit that develops affordable rental cooperatives. Sarah and I talked about co-buying as a way for more people to be able to build equity in their home in a housing market gone mad, speed-dating for finding co-buyers, and the […]

For episode forty-seven, I spoke with Eric Budd who is a political activist and organizer who has been involved in various issues such as occupancy reform, even year elections, and advocacy for cycling. He is also involved in various organizations including Boulder Progressives, Better Boulder, Boulder Housing Coalition, and Community Cycles, among others. In 2016, Eric started writing an annual voter’s guide that he distributes widely around the city to help inform voters and promote his progressive values. These guides are rich with background information, links to relevant resources, and detailed commentary about the why’s and what’s of the various […]

For episode forty-six, I spoke with Annamarie Pluhar who runs a nonprofit organization named Sharing Housing. She is the author of a book titled “Sharing Housing: A Guidebook for Finding and Keeping Good Housemates” which extols the virtues of sharing housing and provides practical advice on how to find compatible housemates. Earlier this year I posted a blog article where I estimated that the number of empty bedrooms in Boulder is approximately 30,000 using census data. Recently Boulder city council updated the occupancy restrictions which could potentially make it easier to make better use of those empty bedrooms. I think […]

For episode forty-five, I spoke with Tina Marquis who is a candidate running for city council. We met at the main branch of the Boulder Public Library and talked about a wide variety of subjects including her work on the BVSD school board, homelessness, the introvert revolution, middle income housing, her leadership style, and climate change among others. I admire Tina for her tireless work defending transgender students in our BVSD and Colorado schools and for her thoughtful and careful approach to decision making. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Tina Marquis.

For episode forty-four, I spoke with Dan Williams who is a civil rights lawyer who has worked on issues related to homelessness in Boulder. We talked about a recent effort by a consortium of service providers who got together and created a detailed proposal for providing low barrier services. This proposal was submitted to city council and was sidelined in favor of a city process which has emphasized community feedback over expert opinion. I admire Dan for his tenacious advocacy for helping bring meaningful solutions for homelessness in our community and for his historical perspective that helps us understand how […]

For episode forty-three, I spoke with Terri Brncic who is a candidate running for city council. I sat down with her at her kitchen table in her North Boulder home. We talked about the Safe Zones 4 Kids ballot measure, homelessness solutions, affordable housing, infill development, zoning and parking reform, and e-bikes among other subjects. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Terri Brncic.

For episode forty-two, I spoke with Katie Farnan and Doug Hamilton about their efforts to encourage voters to reject a ballot initiative called Safe Zones 4 Kids. Their campaign is called Solutions Not Safe Zones which challenges the conventional wisdom that a ballot measure that addresses the safety of our children is necessarily good policy. We met outside the Boulder Public Library and discussed the merits of voting for a ballot measure that they argue is both not helpful but worse will be counterproductive. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Katie Farnan and Doug Hamilton.

For episode forty-one, I spoke with Jenny Robins who is a candidate running for city council. I sat down with her at the Boulder Office for the post-production company 11 Dollar Bill on the west end of Canyon Dr. where her husband works. We talked about the importance of safe and convenient public transit that is child friendly, the need in Boulder for more youth activities, how to raise compassionate and empathetic children, and affordable housing, among others. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Jenny Robins.