Candidate Profile: Lauren Folkerts, Boulder City Council

BOULDER, CO — Ten candidates are running for five open seats on City Council in Boulder's Nov. 2 municipal election.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Lauren Folkerts is running for Boulder City Council.

Age: 34

Family: Derek Buranen and Lucky (our dog child).

Education: B.Arch from the University of Oregon.

Occupation: Architect with 10 years of experience.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: Current Chair of Boulder's Design Advisory Board.

Campaign website: lauren4boulder.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am an architect not because I love buildings, but because I believe in their ability to improve the lives of the people who interact with them. The way we build has a large impact on both our climate and our connection to each other. I’m running for city council for largely the same reasons I became an architect. I care deeply about strengthening the community and making the Boulder of the future one we can be proud of. I have advocated for environmental responsibility both through my work as an architect, and through my volunteer efforts. I am currently the president elect of the Colorado Green Building Guild and chair of the City of Boulder’s Design Advisory Board. My goals are making Boulder more equitable and sustainable by creating housing options for all, improving health and safety by filling gaps in social services, expanding transportation options, increasing government efficiency, and ensuring our open spaces are protected and maintained for generations of enjoyment.

The single most pressing issue facing our city is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The affordable and attainable housing crisis is the biggest issues facing our community. Making progress on this issue will also help us meet our climate goals, improve air quality, help address access and equity issues, and make our community stronger. Right now the housing we have serves only a very narrow group. We are leaving out seniors, young families, students, and anyone who is working in our community and not making six figures. The Inclusionary housing requirement of 25% affordable units is the highest in the nation, but we need to work on creating a variety of housing options at a variety of income levels. We currently have about 60,000 in-commuters coming into our city. We can not double the size of our city overnight, but we need to make sure that the majority of the 1% growth in housing stock allowed per year, will serve the populations I mentioned who are not currently able to afford housing in Boulder.

To do this we have a lot of levers we can pull beyond giving developers money to incentivize certain kinds of development. I’d look at density bonuses or expedited permitting processes and reduced fees in order to incentivize land trusts and deed restrictions or other types of permanent affordability. We should also have a more detailed long term housing plan. We need to identify what currently exists and what types of housing we need, at what price points. Then we can allocate this need across the city and incorporate it into our subcommunity planning process. This would allow a district by district approach, so that we’re not concentrating all of one type of housing in any one area. Beyond that we need to reduce barriers for mission driven development such as community land trusts and non profit housing organizations. We need to encourage missing middle housing and gentle infill, such as townhomes, duplexes, triplexes, and co-housing. We also need to encourage small increases in density spread throughout the city and focused on transportation hubs. I truly believe that these changes bring opportunity. We should work with neighborhoods to come up with pilot projects for their own neighborhood.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

There are five open seats and ten candidates running for this position. We have different backgrounds and focuses, but overall we largely agree on the issues, the main difference is the solutions we are presenting. I will advocate innovative solutions, and for Boulder to continue its legacy of leadership. The combination of my board and professional experiences give me extensive practical knowledge about how the city works, and insight into the challenges and opportunities our community faces. I view these challenges holistically and can be counted on to base my decisions on the merits of a proposal rather than groups backing it.