Downtown Clean Up is a biannual event to get our beloved downtown ready for Arts Walk. Join other O-POP members to help out and spend some COVID-safer, outdoor time together.

This event is organized by the Olympia Downtown Alliance (ODA). Register here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CCTSKZD

Registrants will receive an email from the ODA with information about where to meet the day before the event.

Curbing Traffic Edition

Grab a copy of Curbing Traffic: The Human Case for Fewer Cars in Our Lives and travel vicariously to Delft, Netherlands. We need a get-together and a book club is as good a reason as any!

Bring your book (the library has copies) and a mask and we'll gather in the Library's meeting room.

More About the Book

In Curbing Traffic, Melissa and Chris Bruntlett chronicle their experience living in the Netherlands and the benefits that result from treating cars as visitors rather than owners of the road. They weave their personal story with research and interviews with experts and Delft locals to help readers share the experience of living in a city designed for people.

In the planning field, little attention is given to the effects that a “low-car” city can have on the human experience at a psychological and sociological level. Studies are beginning to surface that indicate the impact that external factors—such as sound—can have on our stress and anxiety levels. Or how the systematic dismantling of freedom and autonomy for children and the elderly to travel through their cities is causing isolation and dependency.

Join O-POP and guests Representative Jessica Bateman & Futurewise. They’ll update us on accomplishments of 2021 Legislative session and goals for 2022. Think climate change and housing! And, we’ll build in some social time. After all, it’s been a long time since we gathered.

Part 4 of 4

A Virtual Workshop for the ADU Enthusiast

Join two local contractors to learn about the process of building an ADU. They’ll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of building new, converting an existing structure, and purchasing a prefabricated ADU. And, they’ll share their knowledge of the site constraints that should be factored in, the impacts of existing utilities like sewer and septic, and the process of getting bids and hiring contractors.

Panelists

• Off White | Brand X Design and Construction

• Pete Chramiec | Bicycle Homebuilding

This is part 4 in a four-part series of free Zoom webinars that will answer your basic questions about ADU planning, financing, design, and construction.

The ADU 101 series is sponsored by Olympia Federal Savings (OlyFed) and the South Sound Section, Washington Chapter of the American Planning Association.

Register at Eventbrite

Part 3 of 4

A Virtual Workshop for the ADU Enthusiast

Who’ll be living in your ADU? Will it be you or a family member? Or are you planning to rent it out? Is the way it’s used likely to change over time? These are all questions you’ll need to address before you start planning  your project. Our panelists will discuss these and other design considerations, including  level of finish, value engineering, the challenges of creating a new dwelling on a shared property, and how to think about organizing a small space.

Panelists

• Jason Taellious | Artisans Group

• Matt Hutchins | CAST architecture 

This is part 3  in a four-part series of free Zoom webinars that will answer your basic questions about ADU planning, financing, design, and construction.

The ADU 101 series is sponsored by Olympia Federal Savings (OlyFed) and the South Sound Section, Washington Chapter of the American Planning Association. Photo courtesy of CAST architecture.

Register at Eventbrite

Part 2 of 4

A Virtual Workshop for the ADU Enthusiast

Standard 15- or 30-year mortgages are typically used to finance single-family homes. But when it comes to ADUs, there are other options. A local citizen developer and a lender will discuss some of them,  from home equity loans to other forms of personal credit. You’ll learn about loans that are custom made for ADUs, and how to use a pro forma to forecast income and expenses. 

Panelists

• Lindsey Bamba, AVP District Manager | OlyFed

• Luke Bowerman | Citizen developer

This is part 2 in a four-part series of free Zoom webinars that will answer your basic questions about ADU planning, financing, design, and construction.

The ADU 101 series is sponsored by Olympia Federal Savings (OlyFed) and the South Sound Section, Washington Chapter of the American Planning Association.

Register at Eventbrite

Part 1 of 4

A Virtual Workshop for the ADU Enthusiast

Local governments are making it easier than ever for you to build your own ADU. This workshop will lay out the regulatory steps from concept through completion.  And, you’ll learn about a new series of pre-approved ADU plans that will help streamline your experience even more.

Panelists

• Catherine McCoy | City of Olympia

• Jessica Brandt | City of Lacey

This is part 1 in a four-part series of free Zoom webinars that will answer your basic questions about ADU planning, financing, design, and construction.

The ADU 101 series is sponsored by the South Sound Section, Washington Chapter of the American Planning Association. Photo courtesy of Artisans Group.

Register at Eventbrite

Speak up in favor of diverse housing options! The Olympia Planning Commission will host a virtual public hearing on options to allow more ADUs, duplexes, and triplexes in residential neighborhoods. If passed, the changes will help meet the changing needs of Olympia residents and slow the pace of sprawl into our rural areas.

Register to attend the virtual public hearing here.

Be sure to sign up to speak. You’ll have three minutes to let the Planning Commission know why diverse housing is important to you.

Out of concern for the health and wellbeing of our participants and the larger community, O-POP has decided to postpone this event.

We are excited to share a lot of great information with you and plan to look to some dates in May. In the meantime, if you are interested in giving input on the City's ADU codes, check out this website. Share your thoughts at housingoptions@ci.olympia.wa.us.

We’re sorry for the inconvenience, but ask for your continued support and understanding. Stay healthy, everyone!

Join O-POP for a free half-day workshop outlining the process of building an accessory dwelling unit (ADU). Learn about:

>> permitting and regulations (including Lacey, Olympia, and Tumwater)
>> design and construction
>> financing and property management

Local experts will offer practical information to help you lay the foundations for your own project. This event is free, but seats are limited and registration is required. Register at Eventbrite.

Thanks to our sponsors—OlyFed, the South Sound Section (Washington Chapter of the American Planning Association), and Artisans Group—for their support.

ADU Advocacy

Love ADUs and want to see more of them in Olympia? Learn more about efforts to diversify housing with new codes for ADUs, duplexes, triplexes, and courtyard apartments. Send your supportive comments to housingoptions@ci.olympia.wa.us with a copy to citycouncil@ci.olympia.wa.us.

Join us for a first ever O-POP Book Club! We're reading Urbanism in the Age of Climate Change by Peter Calthorpe. We'll discuss the book, eat snacks, and otherwise hang out.

We love the bus! To celebrate Intercity Transit's new, free rapid route "The One," we'll be sharing a ride on its inaugural day.

Meet just before 4 pm at the Capitol Mall stop between Best Buy and JC Penney to catch the 4:06 pm bus. We'll travel to the Martin Way Park and Ride and then back to the Mall, returning around 5:30 pm, just in time to grab dinner together at i.talia pizzaria.

Can't make it up to the mall, but want to pick up the bus along the way? Check out the full route here. And, you can learn more about The One in this article in The Olympian.

Four Olympia architects present the buildings that influence their work and vision for Olympia

An Olympia Design Month Event

Who influences Olympia’s talented architects, where do they seek inspiration, and what do they wish we would notice about our built environment? Join architects Garner Miller (MSGS Architects), Ruben Nuñez (KMB Architects), Tom Rieger (Thomas Architecture Studios), and Tessa Smith (Artisans Group) for a virtual tour of their inspiration and hear where the field is heading. Reception starts at 7 pm, presentations at 8 pm.

Check out this event on Facebook!

Residential Design and Neighborhood Texture

An Olympia Design Month Event

Does your neighborhood make you want to walk, spend time outdoors, or connect with others? What design elements contribute to those behaviors? Join us for a facilitated discussion with planner Thera Black, architect Roussa Cassel, historic preservationist Michelle Sadlier, and green building expert Chris van Daalen. We'll discuss key design factors that influence our experience of neighborhoods.

Check out this event on Facebook!

Learning to Look at Buildings

An Olympia Design Month Event

Investigate beautiful design through a personal lens.  What elements of architecture inspire you?  How are they different than what inspires others in our community.  This experiential session begins indoors and concludes with an interactive photography and walking tour of our downtown Olympia structures.  Bring a camera of your choice to capture Olympia’s downtown beauty through your personal perspective.  This session is open to high school aged students and above. 

Pre-registration is required and optional Visual Communications credits are available to Olympia High School VisCom Students. To reserve your space, email Jessicarae Nuñez at jessicaraenunez@live.com.

Check out this event on Facebook!

An Olympia Design Month Event

Join two Olympia designers in a conversation about the broad strokes and details that make architecture elicit our emotions. Consider anew Olympia's familiar buildings, as you engage with community members in a creative and empowering learning environment.

Check out this event on Facebook!

Walk through the complexities of development with the teams who make buildings happen

An Olympia Design Month Event

What determines whether a development moves forward? What roles do banks, developers, and architects play? Deepen your understanding of the many factors that influence how buildings happen, and why we have the buildings we have.

Check out this event on Facebook!

An Olympia Design Month Event

Join us for our opening reception and watch the film Urbanized , a feature-length documentary about the design of cities. This film looks at the issues and strategies behind urban design and features some of the world’s foremost architects, planners, policymakers, builders, and thinkers.

We are the missing middle!

Let's help our community know that Missing Middle housing is something that supports us all. We need this diverse housing and we plan to carry this advocacy over the threshold.

It's especially important to show our love at City Council's special meeting on Monday, November 5 at 7pm.

Join O-POP at the Knitting Mills Artist Collective to make broadsides, t-shirts, and buttons. We'll have paper and button-making materials, but bring a favorite t-shirt or sweatshirt for printing.

Drop by between 1 and 4 pm!

A growing population requires a changing landscape in the city of Olympia. Thurston County expects an additional 120,000 people to call our region home in the next 20 years - with 20,000 of those living in Olympia. We must decide where those people will live to support an affordable and walkable community, while protecting our rural areas from sprawl. Important land use decisions must consider the needs of the natural environment and the requirements for the built environment. How do we balance the benefits of environmental restoration and the benefits of urban density?

Join O-POP for this panel, where we will hear from specialists who are working on environmental planning in our region. They will share their past and current planning efforts, and talk about how decisions are made to prioritize environmental restoration and preservation projects. Panelists include:

• Veena Tabbutt, Research and Data Director | Thurston Regional Planning Council
• Scott Steltzner, Fisheries Biologist | Squaxin Island Tribe
• Jesse Barham, Habitat Coordinator | City of Olympia

Moderated by Dani Madrone

Join O-POP for a self-guided tour of ten accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and tiny houses in and around Olympia. Visit some of these homes and contemplate how your neighborhood might benefit from the addition of these cozy dwellings. Talk to residents and owners about their experiences. And, be inspired to support their growth in our community.

Unless already sold out, registration ($10) will be available the day of the tour (cash at the Welcome Center - 108 Cherry Street NE, Olympia) or through Brown Paper Tickets. Tour guidebooks will be available the day of the event to registered attendees.

Photo: Tiny house by Zyl Vardos | Unique Tiny Houses and Art Structures.

Learn about Seattle’s plan to increase housing choices and affordability in its neighborhoods, obstacles the plan faced, and how citizens advocated for it. Hear about how the Home Fund proposes to increase affordable housing for the most vulnerable here in Olympia.

Speakers:

• Chris Wierzbicki, Interim Executive Director, Futurewise
• Erin House, Outreach Coordinator, Futurewise
• Mike McCormick, Home Fund

Join us for a panel discussion about tiny houses and accessory dwelling units (ADUs). We'll be talking about all aspects of these small homes, from building them to living in them, learning about Olympia's code and national trends along the way.

Moderated by Jill Severn

Speakers

• Leonard Bauer, Deputy Director of Community Planning and Development, City of Olympia
• Joseph Becker, Ion Eco Building
• Chris van Daalen, Education Coordinator, Northwest EcoBuilding Guild
• Jenn Kliese, Tiny house designer and dweller

Have you always wondered what the heck a "bulb out" is? How about "vertical friction"? Yeah, me too, so come up your game with a night of planning geekdom! We'll be gathering at Three Magnets Brewing Company's Barrel Room to play Cards Against Urbanity, a game aimed at irreverently demystifying planning terms. See you there!

How do the arts contribute to vibrant, sustainable, well-designed communities? What can we learn from arts efforts in other places?

Our guest for this forum is Karen Bubb, public arts manager for Boise City Department of Arts and History, and adjunct faculty at Boise State University.

Arrive at 7 pm for conversation and snacks (please bring food/drink to share). Karen's talk begins at 7:30, followed by discussion.

O-POP is partnering with the New Urbanism Film Festival to present a special screening of 2015's award-winning documentary films dedicated to urban planning from the pedestrian perspective.

The festival was founded three years ago by Olympia-native Josh Paget. It has screened over 100 urban planning films over the past three years of festivals hosted in Los Angeles and has traveled to Austin, Buffalo, Dallas, San Diego, Stockholm, and now Olympia.

As Olympia continues to grow, people-oriented planning becomes ever more important. Join us for this important discussion and bring your family and a dish to share. In classic Olympia style, this event is a potluck!

For more information about the New Urbanism Film Festival, visit
NewUrbanismFilmFestival.com

Join us for a discussion about development—residential and commercial—in downtown Olympia: what's happening now, opportunities for the future, and obstacles to a more vibrant and pedestrian-oriented city center.

Ron Thomas is principal architect at Thomas Architecture Studio, a firm based in downtown Olympia with downtown projects including the Thurston First Bank Building (Franklin Lofts & Three Magnets Brewing Co.), 321 Lofts (multifamily apartments now under construction), and Thurston County Courthouse Feasibility Study.

This event is sponsored by O-POP, a group whose purpose is to make Olympia a vibrant, well-planned city.