Following the recent example of cities like Vancouver, Austin, and Berkeley, Oakland, CA recently made it much easier for residents to create secondary units, also known as accessory dwelling units.
According to Darwin BondGraham, "the Oakland City Council voted to ease restrictions on the construction of secondary housing units, or backyard cottages," earlier this week.
"The new rules promote more rental housing by easing parking requirements, allowing homeowners to transform existing backyard buildings like sheds and garages into living spaces, and relaxing height and setback requirements," according to BondGraham's summary of the new regulations.
The article provides more background on the case for secondary housing units (also known as accessory dwelling units (ADUs), granny flats, or mother-in law units). Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf is cited in the article as a supporter of the new regulations, but opposition, common in some neighborhoods and cities considering similar restrictions, is not mentioned.
The nearby city of Berkeley approved similar new regulations in March 2015, with the added layer of prohibiting the use of ADUs for short-term rentals. Under Oakland's new regulations, owners of such units could rent the property through services like Airbnb.
FULL STORY: Oakland Eases Rules on Secondary Units to Add New Rental Housing
California Cities Going the Extra Mile to Support ADU Construction
A few jurisdictions have gone beyond conformity with state law to encourage the construction of accessory dwelling units in the state of California, like in San Diego.
Suburbs Encouraging Accessory Dwelling Units
Renton, a suburb of Seattle dealing with skyrocketing housing prices like many of the communities in the region, is allowing new density in residential neighborhoods in the form of backyard cottages.
A Portland-Brand Building Boom: Accessory Dwelling Units
It's possible that construction permits for accessory dwelling units, also known as granny flats or mother-in-law units, could surpass permits for regular homes.
Phase 1 Revealed for $20 Billion Chicago Megaproject
Plans for One Central, a proposed megadevelopment that would add 22.3 million square feet of buildings to the city of Chicago, are taking shape.
Boston Introduces 'Maximum Parking Ratios' for Large Buildings
Large buildings with uses of all kinds will be subject to Boston's new "Maximum Parking Ratios."
5 Tips for Planning Safe Post-Pandemic Events
As community events start move off-screen and become available to the public again, here are five ways organizers can ensure public health and safety.
Getty Conservation Institute
University of Calgary
MetroBike LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Symbium
Rowan University's Department of Geography, Planning, & Sustainability
Hillsborough County Public Schools
City of Raleigh
City of Laramie, Wyoming and Albany County Wyoming
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
