Catalyzing Action for Transformation
At Build It Green, we are committed to catalyzing and incubating new ideas and creating spaces for partners to experiment and innovate. We’re focused on generating shifts across the housing ecosystem that transform perspectives, practice, and policy. To do this, we coalesce changemakers so they can work together to develop new ideas through both learning and action. From this collaboration, emerge new projects, of both Build It Green and our partners, that enable housing and neighborhood development to nurture people, places, and nature.
Transformative Projects
Codes and standards are the DNA of any community. In seeking more regenerative, equitable and collaborative outcomes for our communities, we need to find new ways of working with city, regional, and state agencies–driven by communities and innovative practitioners–to develop model codes that can influence healthier, more holistic outcomes for both individual building design and for neighborhoods and citywide and regional infrastructure. This group is currently working on a municipal-level project around decarbonization and on outlining design guidance that can result in more regenerative and equitable outcomes.
Building the housing we need, for the communities that most need it, is already a challenging goal. Our financing models and mechanisms complicate that even further. In exploring innovative financing at both project/site specific and corridor redevelopment levels, this group seeks to learn about and propose ways to both streamline and innovate related to the funding frameworks we use and is currently pursuing projects in Richmond and Berkeley.
In an ongoing conversation about what it takes to achieve true community or social housing (places for people to live that are affordable, healthy, accessible, and community-centered), this group–started at BIG’s 2022 gathering–initially focused on co-operative housing models and how we can increase the adoption and availability of cooperative housing. The group has transitioned, after conversations at the 2023 gathering, into a focus on land acquisition and shared ownership as fundamental practices that are able to support collective housing models and will be working in 2-3 different regions in California to partner with communities and developers.
Alex Coba
Communication Associate
As a proud California native from Stockton, Alex brings a wealth of experience and a versatile skill set. He has a solid communication background with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Public Relations from California State University, Chico. Alex is adept at strategic communications and media relations, with experience gathering and sharing stories from his local communities that uplift the unique spirit and values of those places. He is excited to join Build It Green, where he can apply his talents to further BIG’s mission to help communities across California thrive