For Montgomery County in Maryland, accessory dwelling units are a viable strategy to help ease the affordable housing crisis.

"Allowing more accessory apartments doesn’t overhaul zoning a la Minneapolis or Oregon, but provides a first step towards allowing a mix of compatible residential uses in single-family zones. It also starts a larger conversation about how we can provide more inclusive neighborhoods for those who are currently left out," writes Jane Lyons.
She examines more closely the potential of accessory dwelling units in Montgomery County in Maryland, where home prices and rents are high and the majority of the county is zoned for single-family homes. Additional ADUs mean more affordable, sustainable housing in the area.
"Every accessory apartment built on an existing lot in Silver Spring or Bethesda is a new home where infrastructure already exists, rather than in a greenfield farther out that would require new roads, schools, sewers, and water and the destruction of forests and farmland," notes Lyons.
Lyons adds that the county needs to simplify the process for designing, building, and financing ADUs, and it needs to partner with organizations that can support interested homeowners. “None of these initiatives would make a difference if a large swath of homes were barred from building an accessory apartment in the first place. That’s why updating zoning to allow for more accessory apartments was such an important move."
FULL STORY: Small size, big impact: Why accessory apartments matter

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

The French Solution to Congested Tunnels: Make Them Car-Free
Bay Area transportation officials keep expanding car capacity. Lyon’s Croix Rousse Tunnel offers a different way.

Missouri Governor Reverses Anti-Discrimination Housing Policies
A new state law bars cities from prohibiting source-of-income discrimination against tenants using Section 8 housing vouchers.

USDOT Launches Unfunded 'SAFE ROADS' Program
The program targets “distractions” and “political messages or artwork,” and paves the way for autonomous vehicles.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Fort Worth
planning NEXT
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie