Missing Middle Housing: An Austin Case Study

The "missing middle" of housing is a concept familiar to many planners, but it's still probably unknown to most of the public. A story for Austin's NPR station could be an indication that the missing middle is entering the public consciousness.

2 minute read

May 26, 2017, 1:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Texas Townhomes

Tricia Danie / Shutterstock

Audrey McGlinchy kicks off the first of a two-part series about missing-middle housing and CodeNEXT—the city of Austin's ongoing zoning code update—with the story of Annette Naish, who lives in a two-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath bought for $57,000 in the late 1990s. "Naish lives in a fourplex, or one unit in a group of four attached homes. It’s a rare breed in Austin. Some say it’s missing," writes McGlinchy.

"The term 'missing-middle' housing was coined by the head of Opticos Design Inc., the consultant helping the City of Austin with CodeNEXT, the rewrite of the land development code," adds McGlinchy, to begin the explainer of a concept usually in the purview of APA conferences and Planetizen posts.

The public is more and more aware of the issues of housing affordability around the country, so it makes sense that more and more of the public should be aware of the missing middle concept.

Researchers at the University of Southern California Price School of Public Policy recently found that the construction of missing-middle housing peaked in the 1970s and '80s. (Naish’s fourplex, for example, was built in 1972.) But since 1990, the construction of missing-middle housing has made up only about 15 percent of new housing stock in the U.S.

The article includes more on the case for missing middle housing, especially the benefits of affordability relative to the other types of housing available in Austin, and cities around the country. It should also not come as a surprise that missing middle housing is one of the goals of the code regulations proposed by the draft versions of CodeNEXT, released in February.

Thursday, May 25, 2017 in KUT

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Millbrae BART station.

HSR Reaches Key Settlement in Northern California City

The state’s high-speed rail authority reached an agreement with Millbrae, a key city on the train’s proposed route to San Francisco.

April 24 - San Diego Post

Spiral ramp on exterior of parking garage in downtown Spokane, Washington.

Washington State Legislature Passes Parking Reform Bill

A bill that would limit parking requirements for new developments is headed to the governor’s desk.

April 24 - OPB

Missouri state capitol dome in Jefferson City, MO.

Missouri Law Would Ban Protections for Housing Voucher Users

A state law seeks to overturn source-of-income discrimination bans passed by several Missouri cities.

April 24 - Missouri Independent