Missing Middle Housing

Silver Spring Downtown Plan Expanding to Make Room for the Missing Middle
Planners are hoping that by expanding the boundaries of the Silver Spring Downtown Plan in Montgomery County, Maryland, new opportunities for missing middle housing will create new opportunities for housing affordability.

Opinion: Less Restrictive Zoning Necessary for Urban Areas to Lead Recovery
An opinion piece makes the case for pro-development urban planning as a tool of economic recovery.

D.C. Comp Plan Update Includes 'Gentle Density' in Single-Family Residential Neighborhoods
A lot of long-term planning is underway in Washington, D.C.

6 Zoning Keys for Effective Missing Middle Housing
The inventor of the term missing middle housing has advice on writing zoning codes that effectively deliver on the potential of the tool.

Portland 2035 Comprehensive Plan Clears Legal Hurdle
The portion of Portland's Comprehensive Plan devoted to missing middle housing spurred a lawsuit that held up the plan until January of this year.

Illinois Could Force Statewide Legislation of Accessory Dwelling Units
State legislation would preempt local governments that block the construction of accessory dwelling units, known locally as coach houses, to increase the supply of affordable housing options in the state.

Legislation to Lift Local Prohibition of Middle Housing Proposed in Washington State
Washington State is the latest example of a state that wants to preempt local planning law to make it easier to add housing units to single-family residential properties all over the states.

Seattle Planning Commission Calls for New Residential Density
A recently published white paper written by the Seattle Planning Commission calls on the city to follow in the footsteps of the city of Minneapolis and the state of Oregon.

Missing Middle Housing, Parking Reform Under Consideration in Raleigh
Elections have consequences, and a new, younger City Council in Raleigh is ready to implement progressive planning and land use reforms.

'Missing Middle Housing Act' Would Allow More Housing Options in Nebraska Residential Areas
The ranks of states considering or taking steps to override local control to allow new density in the residential neighborhoods of cities has swelled once again, this time with a state senator in Nebraska pitching statewide legislation.

Modest Densification, a Strategy to Alleviate the Housing Crisis?
Incremental changes to density on single-family parcels could boost the nation’s housing stock without dramatic impacts at the neighborhood level.

Missing Middle Housing Studied in Suburban Virginia
Almost 90% of Arlington County land zones for residential use is reserved for single-family homes. Would adding missing middle housing in the form of duplexes and triplexes keep the price of housing in a more manageable range?

Effect of Portland's 'Better Housing by Design' Package Depends on Parking Reforms
The difference between a proposed RM2 zoning designation with off-street parking requirements, versus with the parking requirements is massive, according to this article.

New Density Planned as Affordable Housing, Growth Management Tool in Durham, North Carolina
The City Council of Durham, North Carolina has approved changes to the city's master plan, first approved in 2005, to allow new forms of density in residential neighborhoods proximate to the city's downtown urban core.

Zoning for the Missing Middle in Cartoon Form, With Wizards
The city of Ottawa, Canada has produced another goofy animated video. This one explains its efforts to encourage more Missing Middle multi-unit urban housing.

Oregon Residents Wondering What Will Come as Statewide Zoning Reform Takes Effect
House Bill 2001 didn't ban single-family houses altogether, just single-family zoning, so change will take time, and money. There are a lot of unknowns for residents to grapple with when it comes to statewide upzoning.

What Made It Possible for Oregon to End Single-Family Zoning?
Factors beyond political chance played into Oregon's recent decision to legalize missing middle housing. One key point: the state was already halfway there.

History Made: Oregon Legislature Ends Single-Family Zoning
A bill that seemed like it could be a casualty of a bitter partisan feud managed to squeak under the wire. With Governor Kate Brown's signature, single-family zoning will be prohibited throughout the state of Oregon.

On the Massive Carbon Savings of Gentle Density
A thought experiment compares the carbon impact of three new single family homes with the same block if it contained a duplex, a triplex, and a fourplex.

Berkeley to Study Missing Middle Housing Options for Single-Family Residential Neighborhoods
The city of Berkeley, famed for its radical left politics in the 1960s, is now considered a bastion of anti-development obstructionism. Those politics could be changing, however.
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