Here’s one important question to ask about how your city regulates housing.

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesFebruary 28, 2024Incremental Housing, missing middle, single-family, multi-family, housing policy

Early Zoning and the War on Multifamily Housing

Most of your city’s zoning likely prohibits multifamily housing—even of a modest form, like triple-deckers. If so, you have the arrogance of early zoning reformers to thank for it.

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesOctober 18, 2023zoning, Incremental Housing, multi-family, single-family, housing policy, history

One Reason American Architecture Is Considered Boring: Stairs

Why does multifamily housing has the same, copied look in most places?

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsApril 12, 2023podcast, architecture, multi-family, housing, aesthetics, zoning, upzoned

Zoning Desire Paths

Just as kids ignore sidewalks in favor of walking a more efficient path through the grass, homeowners in California are voting with their toolbelts to create zoning desire paths.

Multigenerational Living Isn't Immigrant Culture, It's Human Culture

Living with extended family is something Americans often associate with immigrant households. But why?

Top StoryShina ShayestehOctober 5, 2021family, multi-family, single-family, Single, immigrants, immigration, housing, Social Isolation, zoning

When Missing Middle Isn't Enough, Look to "Stickplexes"

Stickplexes — dense residential structures on 2,500 square feet of land per unit or less — are an underutilized option for many towns and cities. They can often go where missing middle cannot.

Emily HamiltonOctober 23, 2020housing, missing middle, multi-family

In Vermont, One Step Closer to Finding “Missing Middle” Housing

A bill making its way through the Vermont legislature could be a model for making communities more affordable, more walkable, and more prosperous.

Top StoryMatthew RobareAugust 18, 2020zoning, multi-family, vermont

Minneapolis just ended single-family zoning.

Do the new guidelines go too far, not far enough, or are they just right (for now)?

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsNovember 14, 2019single-family, multi-family, zoning, podcast, impact, minnesota

So Your Town is Building Lots of New Housing Units! But How Many New *Doorbells* Are You Losing?

How is it possible that so many of our cities are seeing their footprints grow, but their populations shrink? The answer to this paradox might surprise you.

New Options for Mixed-Use Housing

Housing development in the United States isn’t a one-size-fits-all model. Different types of neighborhoods and urban forms have different financing needs. Kudos to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for taking these steps.

RPAMay 3, 2017federal housing policy, mixed use, multi-family

The Jiffy Lube Metropolis

What we’re witnessing isn’t a modern aberration of multi-story buildings being imposed on the traditional city. It’s actually a return to the historic pattern after an odd twentieth century hiatus.

Top StoryJohnny SanphillippoApril 26, 2016multi-family, mixed use

How HUD Loan Policies Affect Small-Scale Developers

Small developers who want to build modest mixed-use buildings on their town's Main Street are not able to access the favorable financing available to the developers of large single use suburban apartment complexes.