muller

Remodeled residence 'perfect' for owner of manufactured home

Anonymous — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 16:46:41 +0000

Remodeled residence 'perfect' for owner of manufactured home Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 04/16/2021 - 10:46

Susan Glairon / Photography by Tom Sundro Lewis

In 2005 a trailer slated for the dump was transported to Mapleton Mobile Home Park and renovated there. After completion in 2008, the remodeled Boulder home went on sale for $40,000 in an area where the median sale price of homes now tops $1.5 million.

The 570-square-foot home features solid oak hardwood floors, high ceilings that run from 9 to 11 feet, a clerestory (a high section of wall that contains windows above eye level to admit light, while maintaining privacy) and a front porch.

"I saw the potential right away," said Tom Sundro Lewis, a professional photographer and former licensed contractor who purchased the home in 2008. "I really felt like the place was made for me. I still feel that way."

CU Boulder and its partners pursued the "TrailerWrap" (TW) remodeling project as an experiment in rehabilitating a deteriorating manufactured home (MH), with the idea that such renovations could be replicated by others. Since the 1950s, manufactured homes (previously called mobile homes) have been mass produced to provide low-cost housing; however unimaginative design combined with inefficient energy strategies and poor construction techniques made these homes difficult to maintain, often leading to disrepair and abandonment.

The TW remodeling project was a collaboration between Thistle Community Housing; tradesmen from CU Boulder’s Department of Facilities Management; an interdisciplinary team of faculty and students from the university’s College of Architecture and Planning; and the Children, Youth and Environments Center (now the Community Engagement, Design and Research Center (CEDaR), which originated the idea for the TW project.

Obstacles and challenges
Willem van Vliet, CEDaR fellow and professor emeritus in CU Boulder’s Program in Environmental Design (ENVD), initiated the project with Michael Hughes, then an ENVD instructor. Van Vliet wrote grant applications and coordinated between college administrators, teaching faculty and the Mapleton Home Owner’s Association.

Van Vliet noted that there were many challenges during construction. �鶹��Ժ had difficulties getting academic credit for their work; obtaining grants to fund the project presented continual challenges; continuity lacked with three different instructors leading the project over the course of the renovations; and a series of unforeseen events caused set backs, including a sewer line that backed up in the unit, necessitating replacement of many installed components, and a heavy branch which fell on and destroyed the roof after the unit was nearly completed.

But he also noted that there were many successes around creating the affordable and award-winning home. More than 50 students gained a valuable learning experience; ENVD gained positive publicity; and the project held lessons for future project-based learning, including an upcoming CEDaR-led manufactured home renovation.

Portions of the home were purposely not completed to allow the buyer to personalize it. Lewis estimates he put more than $100,000 into the home, including the unit's initial cost, his own labor, the impact-resistant roof he installed, and various upgrades, including the furnace and other appliances.

While Lewis says the unit in its current state of remodel would not be affordable for low-income residents, the home worked for him because he could perform his own renovations.

"I didn’t want to rent a tiny postage stamp of an apartment," Lewis said. "I could have bought a condo, but it would have taken every penny I had. And I could have moved out of town."

A quality home
Lewis says he "loves" the layout, kitchen, high ceiling, hardwood floors and the front porch, which in the summer, functions like a room because of its two walls. He also loves the living room, which also serves as his dining room and office as well as his photography, yoga and dance studio.

"I get lots of compliments about the interior," Lewis said. "Four out of every five people who come here for the first time exclaim, 'Wow! This place doesn’t feel small at all.' And it doesn’t because of the high ceiling. If you imagine an 8-foot ceiling, like old trailers, it’s just a completely different experience, a completely different space.

"I really mean it when I tell you this place is perfect for me. I love it that it is not any bigger. Because being as small as it is, it makes it much more economical to heat in the winter. It’s easier to clean. And I live right in the middle of Boulder. I can walk to Whole Foods. I can walk downtown. I can walk to McGuckins (hardware store). And I pay like a third of the going cost to rent or buy a place like mine."

CEDaR plans to begin its second rmanufactured home remodel project this fall, also within Mapleton Mobile Home Park. The start date will depend on the state of the pandemic.

Tom's advice for those interested in purchasing a home in a mobile home park

Consider purchasing in Colorado, and Boulder, in particular. The city of Boulder and the state of Colorado have been taking steps to protect park residents.

Understand that land rents in privately-owned parks can increase annually as much as $40 per month or more.

Before purchasing a home, ask residents about their relationship with their park's owner. Some owners can be difficult to work with.

In 2005 a trailer slated for the dump was transported to Mapleton Mobile Home Park in Boulder and renovated there. Built by more than 50 CU Boulder students, the Trailer Wrap project held lessons for future project-based learning, including a CEDaR-led manufactured home renovation planned for this summer or fall, depending on the state of the pandemic.

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CEDaR's Growing Up Boulder program spins off as a nonprofit

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 21:25:31 +0000

CEDaR's Growing Up Boulder program spins off as a nonprofit Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 03/11/2021 - 14:25

When  Growing Up Boulder (GUB) began in 2009, its goal was to empower young people to influence the local issues which affected their lives. For the past 12 years the program was a part of CU Boulder's  Community Engagement, Design and Research  (CEDaR) Center. Now one of the most successful child-friendly city initiatives in the world, it's being spun off as an independent nonprofit under the fiscal sponsorship of the Colorado Nonprofit Development Center.

“Growing Up Boulder will continue its deep partnership with CU Boulder as it evolves during its next phase," said  Mara Mintzer, GUB's director. "It  grew from a strong foundation in academia, and the  students and faculty have been key to its success."

The relationship between CEDaR and GUB is a model for how the university can develop, nurture and then spin off nonprofit activities, says Brian Muller, associate professor and CEDaR director.

“Growing Up Boulder began as a service-based research project and evolved into a program that is now more deeply embedded in the community than the university," Muller says. “It will continue as a CEDaR affiliate with more flexibility to raise money and cultivate new relationships to expand its programs. Spinning it off strengthens GUB and benefits all its partners."

Over the years GUB grew to become one of the most successful child-friendly city initiatives in the world. Some of GUB's largest successes include Mintzer's  2018 TED Talk “How Kids Can Help Design Cities," viewed 2.3 million times and translated into 21 languages;  GUB’s “child-friendly city map project,” which brought together more than 30 organizations and 700 young people to create the nation’s first printed, bilingual map designed by kids for kids; and the award-winning book, "Placemaking With Children and Youth: Participatory Practices for Planning Sustainable Communities," co-authored by GUB founders and faculty. 

University roots
In December 2008 Growing Up Boulder was conceived by David Driskell, director of community planning and sustainability for the city of Boulder, and Willem van Vliet, CU Boulder professor (emeritus) and CEDaR fellow, as an effort to make Boulder one of the nation’s first child-friendly cities, recognizing the rights and interests of children in local policy, law, programs and budgets as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Louise Chawla, CU Boulder professor (emerita) and CEDaR fellow, was also formative in GUB’s development.

GUB formally launched in the spring of 2009 through an MOU between CU Boulder, the city of Boulder and the Boulder Valley School District, working in partnership with local nonprofits, businesses, and many participating children and youth.  Its overall goal was to bring about a culture change so that youth participation in local affairs would no longer be extraordinary, but mainstream and routine. GUB created programming that helped local youth provide critical input on matters of city planning, education, sustainability, social justice and human rights. It supported a new generation of civic leaders, who tangibly improve their communities by sharing recommendations for city and community design and decision-making.

 Additional Growing Up Boulder highlights

Contributed to key city planning guidelines and policies, including seven master plans for open space and mountain parks, resilient cities, and transportation, and more.
Engaged more than 6,000 Boulder area kids on more than 100 city and community projects. Many program participants work with GUB for three months or more.
Upheld an internal standard to ensure that at least 50 percent of participating program children and youth are from historically marginalized groups.
Worked with more than 60 local and county partners to support hundreds of ideation sessions, after-school enrichments, and community engagement events.
Widely cited academic book chapters and journal articles.
Keynote addresses at national and international conferences.
Local, national, and international media coverage.
Training, lectures, and consulting sessions for many global partners, ranging from government staff and elected officials, young people, educators and academics.

GUB has been a part of CEDaR and housed in the Program for Environmental Design for about 12 years, working in the context of an overall CEDaR philosophy that focuses on partnerships with city governments and community organizations; participatory action research;  interdisciplinary collaboration across campus; integrated research by undergraduates, graduate students and faculty; and engagement with low-income and minority populations. 

Joint CEDaR and GUB initiatives include the Hill Redevelopment Project, a three-year effort to build engagement among the varied voices in development policy on the Hill. During this project, GUB worked with a Flatirons Elementary  fourth-grade class to develop ideas to make the 11th Street Corridor a fun and safer place for people of all ages. In another joint CEDaR effort to develop innovative urban design for manufactured housing communities, GUB engaged with the Ponderosa Mobile Home Park community to encourage brainstorming with children and parents around the design of green spaces, playgrounds and safety, as well as adding new amenities to the park.

In addition, CEDaR provided the GUB partnership with services including office space and fiscal, computer, human resources and communications support; staff oversight; and management of joint projects and MOUs.

GUB's evolution into a new phase will be celebrated at a fundraiser on May 4.

For the past 12 years Growing Up Boulder was a part of CU Boulder's  Community Engagement, Design and Research (CEDaR) Center. Now one of the most successful child-friendly city initiatives in the world, GUB is transitioning to an independent nonprofit, a model for how the university can develop, nurture and then spin off nonprofit activities.

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CEDaR food bank project helps with logistical issues during pandemic

Anonymous — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 16:23:56 +0000

CEDaR food bank project helps with logistical issues during pandemic Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 03/05/2021 - 09:23

photo by Sgt. Kerry Hatcher

As unemployment rose sharply and people socially distanced because of the pandemic, food banks nationwide saw increased demands for food assistance, as well as a decrease in donations and volunteer workers.

Most faced logistical issues in getting their supplies in a timely manner.

To tackle these issues locally, Denver's Neighborhood Equity & Stabilization (NEST) reached out to CU Boulder's Community Engagement, Design and Research Center, and CEDaR launched the "Denver Food Bank Distribution Project." The project is a partnership between the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE) and the university.

"This project is an excellent example of a collaboration between the city of Denver and the university, where the university brings technical skills, interviewing and information technologies to a project identified by the city," says Brian Muller, CEDaR director. "Together we're tackling how to best manage information and activities among dozens of small and large Denver food banks."

Josh Lipson, a senior in the environmental studies and economics departments at CU Boulder, said he wanted to intern for the project because he feels passionate about the intertwined issues of food waste and nationwide hunger.

"The pandemic showed the fragility of our food supply chain as well as increased the number of people living in hunger," he said. "With widespread food waste and hunger existing simultaneously, both issues seem avoidable and solvable."

Denver food bank staff and pantry stakeholders have been researching ways to use technology, such as Slack, Project InKind, and Care Exchange to better meet the demands of the current crisis and in preparation for future crises, Lipson says. Primary needs include an efficient resource exchange between suppliers, food banks, food pantries and consumers; transportation coordination; tracking food inventories and deliveries; and communication at all sectors of the supply chain.

Lesly Baesens, food waste recovery program administrator for the DDPHE, said a wide network of emergency food stakeholders work to meet the needs of food-insecure Denverites.

"The use of technology would help increase the exchange of information, food, volunteers and supplies among these stakeholders," she said. "DDPHE is excited to work with Josh to help figure out which barriers prevent adopting these tools and how best to overcome those barriers."

During the initial two months of the project, Lipson researched the issues that food banks face and the apps they use and attended an emergency food stakeholders' meeting. He since designed a survey and prepared for interviews with stakeholders; the results will help him further explore how food banks use technologies and the obstacles their workers face. He plans to use this information to compile a guide as well as organize a workshop about useful technologies for food bank stakeholders.

"The food distribution issues that Denver is facing are massive, long-term issues, and I don't expect to solve them within a few months," Lipson says. "I hope though that by the end of my internship I can point to the tangible impact I made. Having the opportunity to help communities during a crisis is so important to me."

In this collaboration between the city of Denver and the university, the Community Engagement, Design and Research Center (CEDaR) and the Denver Department of Health & Environment are jointly tackling how to best manage information and activities among dozens of small and large Denver food banks during times of increased demand.

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CEDaR helps plan popular Pollinator Summit

Anonymous — Fri, 15 Nov 2019 19:00:30 +0000

CEDaR helps plan popular Pollinator Summit Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 11/15/2019 - 12:00

About 175 people attended the fourth annual Colorado Pollinator Summit, “Protecting Colorado’s Biodiversity," which was planned by CU Boulder's Community Engagement, Design and Research Center (CEDaR) in partnership with other organizations. The Nov. 1 event, which featured plenary talks and panels on urban neighborhoods, landscaping for biodiversity and holistic farming in Colorado, was held at the Sustainability, Energy & Environment Center (SEEC) on the CU Boulder east campus.

"There is great enthusiasm for protecting bees and restoring habitat for them," said Louise Chawla, a CEDaR fellow and professor emerita, who has helped plan the summit for the past three years.

In addition to domesticated honeybees, Colorado has 500 species of wild bees, who in many cases pollinate crops and wild plants more efficiently than honeybees, she said. Other species that help pollinate the state's flowering plants and trees include beetles, flies and to a lesser extent, hummingbirds, butterflies and a species of bat.

The summit was opened by Kate Greenberg, Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture, who affirmed the commitment of Gov. Polis and his administration to help farmers transition to agricultural methods that protect wildlife habitat and wildlife species, such as pollinators.

Brendon Rockey, who raises specialty potatoes and quinoa on 500 irrigated acres in Colorado's San Luis Valley, spoke about how companion planting of wildflowers in his potato fields attracts beneficial pollinators and birds. A panel of landscape designers and prairie restoration experts discussed the native Colorado landscapes they are installing, in some cases at the scale of corporate and residential developments. Another panel featured work from CU Boulder, including the parking lot pollinator gardens that Danielle Bilot, an instructor in the university’s Program in Environmental Design, is creating with her students. Megan Jones, a Colorado State University (CSU) doctoral student, shared her research which explores why people install wildscaping gardens in their yards and why they become “ambassadors” who spread this practice among their neighbors.

"Biodiversity landscaping is important to me," Chawla said. "It is critical for sharing the living world with children, who are the focus of my practice and research."

The event was planned by CEDaR, along with the nonprofit, the People and Pollinators Action Network, the Butterfly Pavilion, Denver Botanic Gardens, the City of Boulder, CSU Extension, and the Audubon Society.

About 175 people attended the fourth annual Colorado Pollinator Summit, “Protecting Colorado’s Biodiversity," which was planned by the Community Engagement, Design and Research center and others. The Nov. 1 event featured plenary talks and panels on urban neighborhoods, landscaping for biodiversity and holistic farming in Colorado.

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CEDaR conference tackles challenges of city diversity and affordability

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 03:46:46 +0000

CEDaR conference tackles challenges of city diversity and affordability Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/22/2019 - 21:46

Can you afford to purchase a home in Boulder? Most people can't. And many small businesses have been forced out by high rents. So have working families, students, university staff, immigrants and others.

Gentrification. It's been happening across the country and especially in Colorado. Affluent people and businesses move in, rents and property prices rise, and pretty soon the lower and middle classes can no longer afford to live there.

"Everyone deserves access to a safe and stable home they can afford where they choose to put down roots," says Mackenzie Sehlke, public affairs specialist with Boulder County Housing and Human Services. “Without this, we suffer in so many other ways – our health deteriorates, our families struggle to thrive, our community becomes monotone, we increase our contributions to climate change and our businesses can’t keep good employees."

If you go

Who: Planners, designers, researchers, students, residents, city and town officials, agency staff and anyone interested!

What: Squeezed Out: Challenges of Diversity and Affordability in Colorado Communities

When: Oct. 25, 7:45 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Where: SEEC Building, 4001 Discovery Dr., Boulder

Cost: $40 conference fee, includes lunch and other refreshments. Scholarships available for students.

Registration and more information

ETC: An opening reception will be held Oct. 24, 5:30-7 pm, at the Environmental Design building, University of Colorado Boulder, ENVD 134, 1060 18th St., Boulder. $15 includes appetizers and drinks.

On Friday Oct. 25, "Squeezed Out," the third annual Community Building Colorado-Style conference, will explore creative solutions to these challenges of affordability, diversity and equity occurring in rapidly-growing Colorado communities. The event, which is organized by CU Boulder's Community Engagement, Design and Research (CEDaR) Center and sponsored by The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU), Downtown Colorado Inc. and the American Planning Association (APA), is open to the community. Registration is required.

CEDaR is a collaborative of faculty and students that works with cities and other local partners to build vital, equitable and sustainable communities. Much of CEDaR’s work occurs in neighborhoods and with populations that are in transition because of high urban costs.

The conference's 30 speakers include planning and design thinkers, neighborhood organizations and activists. During hands-on workshops, participants will explore concepts and designs for the manufactured housing community of the future, creative districts and affordable housing in the Boulder region.

Also included is a panel of community advocates, organizers and leaders who will offer their insights on the critical role affordable housing plays in building a strong, resilient Boulder County, says Sehlke. These experts have made professional contributions to mental health services, medical care, local government, community radio and translation services.

"We can still build this thriving, diverse community by tripling our supply of affordable homes across our region by 2035 with creative solutions that match the needs and resources of each community," she adds. "Most of all, we need everyone to join the conversation around finding and pursuing solutions.”

Living beyond their means

While many working people move outside of Boulder, many who have stayed are living beyond their means. Since 2010, the number of Boulder County households paying more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs has steadily increased, according to the Boulder County Regional Housing Partnership. Homes are considered affordable when rent and utilities in an apartment or monthly mortgage payment and housing expenses for a homeowner total less than 30 percent of a household’s gross monthly income.

"Many Coloradans - renters, immigrants, artists, students, seniors, mobile and manufactured homeowners, single-parent and working families, small business owners and middle-class families - are financially stressed as a result of housing and other urban costs," says Brian Muller, CEDaR director and associate professor in the Program in Environmental Design. "Coloradans are also worried about quality of life - congestion, pollution, neighborhood character and shrinking green landscapes."

Dan Carmody, president of the Eastern Market Corporation, will speak about the development of the market and its role in stimulating small local businesses and providing permanently affordable housing both in Detroit's farmer’s market district and nearby areas. Eastern Market is the largest historic public market district in the United States, with more than 150 foods and specialty businesses and attracting about 45,000 shoppers on Saturdays, according to Wikipedia. The market has become a catalyst for development in the surrounding neighborhood, and local and internationally recognized art galleries, studios and makerspaces as well as independent eateries, shops and performance spaces have sprung up in the area.

Dan Carmody

Irene Aguilar, a former state senator for southwest Denver who now directs the City of Denver Neighborhood Equity and Stabilization Team, helps people and businesses who want to stay in Denver from being displaced. Aguilar will be on a panel entitled, "Development, Affordability and Dislocation in Colorado Cities,” which will include reflections on new state initiatives created to combat displacement of businesses and people.

"If you live in a city where changes are happening that have led to displacement in other cities, don't wait," Aguilar says. "It’s time to act."

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CEDaR-partner organization helped motivate bill protecting mobile homeowners' rights

Anonymous — Thu, 23 May 2019 19:34:51 +0000

CEDaR-partner organization helped motivate bill protecting mobile homeowners' rights Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 05/23/2019 - 13:34

Gov. Jared Polis signed into law a bill that expands regulatory protections for residents across the state’s roughly 900 mobile home parks.

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Times-Call features CU Boulder students suggestions for downtown Longmont enhancements

Anonymous — Thu, 16 May 2019 23:28:30 +0000

Times-Call features CU Boulder students suggestions for downtown Longmont enhancements Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 05/16/2019 - 17:28

Art, kid-friendly features among ideas to breathe life into breezeways, alleys, plazas

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KGNU interviews Scot VanGenderen about CEDaR's Longmont project

Anonymous — Tue, 07 May 2019 23:38:06 +0000

KGNU interviews Scot VanGenderen about CEDaR's Longmont project Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/07/2019 - 17:38

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CEDaR project for enhancing downtown Longmont featured in Times-Call

Anonymous — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 23:14:19 +0000

CEDaR project for enhancing downtown Longmont featured in Times-Call Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 04/26/2019 - 17:14

CU Boulder students to present ideas for enhancing downtown Longmont

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ENVD students to present ideas for enhancing downtown Longmont

Anonymous — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 20:39:54 +0000

ENVD students to present ideas for enhancing downtown Longmont Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 04/04/2019 - 14:39

CU Boulder environmental design students will share their ideas around enhancing downtown Longmont, including design options for alleys, breezeways and plazas at "Help Shape Downtown Longmont," a community discussion and design gallery on May 1 at the Longmont Chamber of Commerce.

At the event, which is open to anyone interested in the future of Longmont's Main Street, students from a seminar class taught by Scott VanGenderen, ENVD lecturer, and Brian Muller, associate professor, will answer questions about class research results, including student interviews of Longmont residents.

If you go

Who: Anyone interested in the future of Longmont's Main Street

What: "Help Shape Downtown Longmont," presentations and stand-up poster gallery by CU Boulder's environmental design students. �鶹��Ժ will present their research around future design options for alleys, breezeways and plazas on Longmont's Main Street.

When: May 1, 11:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Where: Longmont Chamber of Commerce, 528 Main St., Longmont

Etc.: A free light lunch will be provided to those who register in advance by April 30. Questions can be addressed to Susan at susan.glairon@colorado.edu.

Survey: Please take this 5-10 minute survey created by CU Boulder students regarding perceptions of Longmont's Main Street and surrounding areas. Your input may have a direct impact on future planning for the downtown area.

The second part of the event will include a stand-up poster gallery where students will exhibit their design ideas and answer residents' questions.

The Downtown Longmont Praxis, under the auspices of the Longmont Downtown Development Authority (LDDA) considered physical solutions to contribute to the activity and vitality of a variety of open spaces along the Main Street corridor, says VanGenderen. After better understanding Longmont through surveys and GIS analysis of US Census data, the students proposed enhancements to the 6th Avenue and St. Stephen's plazas, and the alleys and breezeways that link the downtown environs. �鶹��Ժ additionally considered programmatic enhancements such art displays, a children's garden, and a craft beer and music tour.

The event includes a free light lunch for those who register in advance.

"Help Shape Downtown Longmont" is a Colorado MetroLab project, which brings university research and expertise in design, engineering and community engagement to city programs. The ongoing effort is sponsored by the University of Colorado Boulder's Community Engagement, Design and Research Center (CEDaR), the Program in Environmental Design and the Longmont Downtown Development Authority (LDDA).

Listen to the 05.07.19 KGNU Boulder interview with Scott VanGenderen
Read the 05.02.19 event article in the Longmont Times-Call
Read the 04.26.19 preview article in the Longmont Times-Call

Hear CU Boulder environmental design students present their design ideas for alleys, breezeways and plazas that can help increase the activity and vitality of Longmont's Main Street.

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