Single-Family Zoning

Almost 90% of Arlington County land zones for residential use is reserved for single-family homes. Would adding missing middle housing in the form of duplexes and triplexes keep the price of housing in a more manageable range?

December 22, 2019 - WAMU

An article published by the Journal of the American Planning Association argues that single-family zoning "exacerbates inequality and undermines efficiency," and should be eliminated entirely.

December 9, 2019 - Journal Of The American Planning Association

The end of single-family zoning, a key component of a comprehensive plan adopted last year in Minneapolis, has now been set in code.

November 11, 2019 - StarTribune

Move over Minneapolis. An Indiana college town joins the avant-garde of planning innovation by nearing the finish line with a new Unified Development Ordinance that would allow duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes in single-family neighborhoods.

October 25, 2019 - Hoosier Times

For years, the California legislators have been passing bills to allow accessory dwelling units on single-family residential lots. These laws haven't attracted the same attention as other failed laws, but their effect is significant.

October 14, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Even as density increases in Minneapolis, affordable housing is not going to be accessible to the people who need it, according to an article by James S. Russell.

October 8, 2019 - Architectural Record

Portland wants to add density but doesn't want to displace current residents of low- and middle-income neighborhoods.

September 8, 2019 - The Oregonian

A retired city planner takes a position against "lot splitting," or allowing more than one unit on properties zones for single-family residential as it's known in Toronto.

August 7, 2019 - The Star

Factors beyond political chance played into Oregon's recent decision to legalize missing middle housing. One key point: the state was already halfway there.

July 14, 2019 - City Observatory

It's going to take "radical policies" and "political courage" to overcome the housing shortage in California, according to a recent working paper, but they will be necessary to overcome the negative consequences of the planning and zoning status quo.

July 12, 2019 - Terner Center for Housing Innovation

Seattle is the latest in a series of cities, states, and counties to alter the landscape of land use regulation by approving what the Sightline Institute describes as the "most progressive" ADU policy in the United States.

July 2, 2019 - Sightline Institute

A bill that seemed like it could be a casualty of a bitter partisan feud managed to squeak under the wire. With Governor Kate Brown's signature, single-family zoning will be prohibited throughout the state of Oregon.

July 1, 2019 - The Oregonian

U.S. Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson, in Minneapolis last week, expressed support for the planning reforms included in the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

June 25, 2019 - Star Tribune

There isn't much city in most U.S. cities.

June 18, 2019 - The New York Times

Is this a two-birds-with-one-stone situation?

May 30, 2019 - The Seattle Times

The proposed legislation would open up cities like Palo Alto to higher-density housing.

April 24, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Exclusionary zoning really pays off for people that already had enough money to buy a home. A new mapping project shows exactly where that's true int he area around Minneapolis.

February 9, 2019 - Nick Magrino

Minneapolis is setting a bold example by ending single-family zoning, but chances are a similar change won’t be coming to Philadelphia.

January 9, 2019 - PlanPhilly

The story of the Grand Rapids zoning code update of a decade ago offers perspective on the possibilities of code reform.

January 1, 2019 - Next City

The city should look back to its past for lessons about creating more livable, affordable, and equitable neighborhoods, says a new report.

December 11, 2018 - The Urbanist