Case Study: Denver's Accessory Dwelling Units

Since a zoning code change in 2010, the city of Denver has added 66 accessory dwelling units in a city of 650,000.

1 minute read

January 18, 2016, 12:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Joe Vaccarelli checks in on the effect of Denver’s 2010 ordinance allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs), or "granny cottages," as the story’s headline calls them.

According to Vaccarelli, the construction of ADUs has benefitted from the city’s zoning code: "The city only tracks newly built cottage houses, but there is an uptick, as 66 units have been built in areas of the city where the zoning code permits the additions since 2010."

The article includes more details about the ordinance, including requirements for granny flats and the neighborhoods in which they are allowed, to give an idea ofhow the city implemented its ADU policy.

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