Welcome to the Livable Places Initiative

Stewart Hicks, an architectural design educator and Associate Professor in the School of Architecture at the University of Illinois at Chicago provides an interesting look into alleys. The YouTube video is entitled “This is What Makes Good Cities Great” and discusses the history and interesting uses of alleys. Professor Hicks explains that “Alleys are the unsung heroes of urban planning and design.”

Cottage Court styled developments offer creative housing options that connect neighbors in small groupings. Visit examples provided, by Opticos Design, Inc., that speak to shared parking, 1-2 story units, open space and various different unit per acre configurations. The site shows numerous examples of popular existing communities.

Click to view the page.

The Public Square Journal, produced by Congress for the New Urbanism, includes an article about how adaptable the cottage courtyard design is. In Testing new ideas with cottage courts, Robert Steuteville discusses how this "missing middle" type can be placed in urban, suburban or rural settings, and as for-sale or as rental units. Cottage courts are wonderful developments with open space, grouped parking and can test new design ideas, methods and markets. The units sit on a small footprint and are inviting to people and families.

Click to read the article.

The Public Square Journal, produced by Congress for the New Urbanism, includes an article about a townhouse design that has numerous advantages. In "Micro-townhouses designed for flexibility", Robert Steuteville discusses how this design enables homeownership, is easier for builders to finance, provides green and common spaces, lends to available street parking, and is customizable based on the needs of the homeowner. He describes the units as "high-quality urbanism".

Click to read the article.

The Kinder Institute Urban Edge blog took a thorough look at Accessory Dwelling Units in Houston and our recent ADU design competition.

For more information on ADUs in Houston, visit https://www.letstalkhouston.org/adu.

The National Association of Home Builders produced a report prepared by Opticos Design, Inc. The objective of Diversifying Housing Options with Smaller Lots and Smaller Homes is to explore "issues involved in building a greater mix of housing types that bring discreet density to neighborhoods using a palette that ranges from smaller homes, to accessory dwelling units, to Missing Middle Housing types."

The report also examines regulatory and design options as well as the barriers that prevent these housing types. The analysis provides examples of "codes and built results that were developed at the market rate without the expectation of subsidies so that we could understand how successful a code can be in influencing diversity and affordability of housing options."

Harris County commissioned a county wide survey and study to examine the types and prices of homes needed in our communities. The survey, conducted by Kinder Institute for Urban Research, analyzed pertinent data and gauged the public’s perception of housing opportunities. The survey results and listening sessions were formulated into My Home is Here: Harris County’s Housing Needs Assessment And 10-Year Strategy. Released in October 2021, the document serves to guide local decision makers in creating housing policies and strategies that reflect the wants and needs of Harris County.

This is a case study of a cottage community in Clarkston, Georgia, a suburb northeast of Atlanta. This case study is produced by MicroLife Institute that promotes micro-living and its benefits. They support homes of “all shapes and sizes” that bring communities together, among other goals. They speak to filling the missing middle housing gap with projects like the Cottages on Vaughan.

This housing project provides a great example of common green space design and has a unique approach to separate parking. It is also climate-conscious, utilizes solar panels, room sized porches, and edible landscaping features.

Read The Cottages on Vaughan.

WE RAN THE RENT NUMBERS ON PORTLAND’S 7 NEWLY LEGAL HOME OPTIONS

The original article is posted on Sightline.org and is written by Michael Andersen.

Portland recently lifted a ban on 7 housing types. They include: a duplex, a triplex, a fourplex, a mixed-income or below-market sixplex, a large group co-living home, a double ADU, and a tiny backyard home on wheels.

Working with Portland-based consultant Neil Heller, a faculty member at the Incremental Development Alliance, the study sought to answer the question - Will any of them actually be built? The study estimates the cost for each new housing type weighed against any proposed rent based on current market conditions.

Read the article to learn what was discovered about each housing type.

Although the title speaks to cities with zoning ordinances, this article lists six tips for successful implementation of Missing Middle housing. The article highlights cities that have changed their policies to allow certain missing middle types that may parallel recent discussions by the Livable Places Action Committee.

One of the major points is that increasing the number of units does not have to equate to larger buildings. House scale buildings/Missing Middle Housing can accommodate more units, more choices, and higher densities. And, it can often match the character of existing communities.

Read the full article.