Laneway Housing
Breathing New Life Into Toronto's Laneways
Laneway development throughout the city is ramping up with new construction and public space projects.
Vancouver May Fast-Track Modular Laneway Homes
The city of Vancouver has emerged as a leader in "laneway" housing: secondary units built onto existing lots, often facing an alleyway. To boost supply, the city may expedite permitting for modular units.
Finding Middle Ground in the Density Debate
Writer Alex Marshall looks to Kitsilano, a Vancouver neighborhood, for urban infill done right. Skyscrapers and mid-rise developments aren't always necessary to achieve more people per square foot.
Vancouver Hands Residents the Keys to Granny Flats
Leading other expensive cities in North America, Vancouver, British Columbia is quickly adding accessory dwelling units as a result of permissive regulations approved in 2009.
Vancouver's Popular Laneway Housing Program Gets a Redesign
Vancouver's efforts to facilitate accessory dwellings has proven to be popular - perhaps too popular for some residents. As officials prepare to expand the program citywide, they're tweaking it to address concerns with privacy and parking.
Some in Toronto Cling to Promise of Back Alley Living
A decade ago, a landmark study proposed alley-side infill development, or laneway housing, as a way to provide Toronto with thousands of affordable units. Despite significant obstacles, some developers and architects remain committed to the idea.
Invisible Density
The Canadians call it "laneway housing", and in the U.S. they're often dubbed "granny units". These smaller homes in underused garage or alley locations are creating new ways to add density to areas without changing community character.
Smaller Homes Coming to Smaller Towns
The small town of Tofino, British Columbia is looking to the Vancouver model of "micro homes" and laneway housing to increase its stock of affordable housing.
Little House on the Laneway
Vancouver's liberalized laneway housing zoning is seen as a cost-effective and easy way to densify, make housing more affordable and reduce the city's carbon footprint. But not everyone is on board.
Vancouver's Laneway Homes Begin to Arouse Complaint
The idea was for the homes to be 'mortgage helpers' or cheaper way to house elderly parents. Since the citywide policy was passed last year, 89 laneways have been approved and some are already generating complaints.
Vancouver's Housing Experiment: The First Residents Move In
A local TV host will be one of the first to take advantage of Vancouver's new 'laneway housing' pilot project (allowing 'granny units' in backyards of traditional city neighborhoods). The project is facing some controversy.
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.
Roaring Fork Transportation Authority
Placer County
Skagit Transit
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
M-NCPPC Prince George's County Planning Department
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
