Allied organizations: Upcoming events and programs

Northern strives to deliver events and programs to help you achieve your professional development and networking goals. Our allied professional organizations also offer events and programs in a variety of formats that you may find align well with your professional and continuing education goals.

The Northern News team has selected these notable upcoming events or programs.

SPUR—the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association—is a nonprofit public policy organization bringing people together from across the political spectrum to develop solutions to the big problems cities face. Based in San Francisco, San José, and Oakland, SPUR is recognized as a leading civic planning organization and respected for its independent and holistic approach to urban issues.

The Homeownership Bottleneck: Why California Needs a Functional Presale System [Online]

12:00 to 1:00 p.m. | Tuesday, March 10, 20263 | SPUR Digital Discourse
Fee: Free

This event examines California’s housing crisis, highlighting the lack of presale financing as a key barrier to homeownership. Without such systems, it’s nearly impossible for developers to build condos or middle-income housing.

Muhammad Alameldin of California YIMBY will present findings on presale solutions, including AB 1406. Updates to outdated laws could let buyers lock in prices, give lenders funding security, and provide consumer protections.

More information and REGISTER

If You Want to Win, You’ve Got to Fight: Transportation Advocacy Book Talk [Online]

12:30 to 1:30 p.m. | Tuesday, March 17, 2026 | SPUR Digital Discourse
Fee: Free

Effective advocacy requires a synchronized approach that combines public pressure with direct negotiation to influence decision makers from every available angle. While standing outside an office and shouting creates necessary visibility, the real shaping of policy often happens through internal persuasion and strategic access. Bay Area author and transit organizer Carter Lavin explores the essential mechanics of “the inside and outside game” in his new book, demonstrating how these two fronts must work together to turn ambitious transportation ideas into reality. Attendees will learn how to leverage campaign supporters and coalition partners to strengthen their position both on the streets and within the halls of power.

More information and REGISTER

Mass Timber Momentum: Manufacturing Residential Buildings in California

12:00 to 1:00 p.m. | Tuesday, March 24, 2026 | SPUR Digital Discourse
Fee: Free

California building codes now permit 18-story mass timber towers to address housing shortages through prefabrication. This regulatory evolution enables the wider use of wood construction to transform modern architecture. Using mass timber for prefabricated elements expedites multifamily construction while providing a scalable solution to the state’s urgent demand for affordable housing.

Recent developments illustrate this momentum. The 1510 Webster Street project, a 19-story tower in Oakland, is the first Type IV-A mass timber high-rise in the United States. It is also the world’s first beamless mass plywood high-rise. In Santa Cruz, WRNS Studio is developing housing for 624 students using a hybrid structural system. This efficient design allowed construction to start just 11 months after the project’s approval.

To scale these solutions, WRNS Studio and FABRIC are launching California’s first mass timber manufacturing facility to combat climate change, wildfires, and housing affordability simultaneously.

More information and REGISTER
Return to Northern News
Social Media Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com
Scroll to Top