Report: Portland's Proposed Residential Infill Policies Could Slow Infill Development

Portland is expecting 123,000 new households in the city by 2035, so it's proposed a new residential infill policy to accommodate all those people. A new report argues, however, that the policy could have a chilling effect on infill development.

November 3, 2016, 8am PDT | James Brasuell | @CasualBrasuell

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"The city of Portland is considering whether to change zoning rules to create more room to build affordable housing and accommodate future growth, according to an article by Kieran Hanrahan.

"Portland’s Residential Infill Project would change residential zones that only allow single-family homes to allow duplexes and triplexes," explains Hanrahan, who also describes such housing types as the "'missing middle' between houses and large apartment buildings."

An October post by Portland for Everyone described the Residential Infill Project as a solution for the proliferation of McMansions around Portland—a very different angle than the growth concerns examined by Hanrahan's article. Along those lines, Hanrahan examines a new economic study completed by Jerry Johnson, principal of Johnson Economics. According to the study, by reducing the allowed maximum size of homes the Residential Infill Project "would make redeveloping homes less appealing to developers."

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Portland’s Residential Infill Project May Have Caveats

Published on Wednesday, November 2, 2016 in Oregon Public Broadcasting