Changes in the size and type of housing can accommodate different living arrangements and offer opportunities for multigenerational living and aging in place.
Writing in Strong Towns, Emma Durand-Wood makes the argument that changes in neighborhood scale aren’t always the tragedy that some community activists say they are.
Durand-Wood points to her childhood neighborhood as an example, where houses slowly began growing in size until the larger size became the norm. Now, more property owners and developers are building larger houses designed for multigenerational living, co-living, or renting out extra spaces to tenants.
For Durand-Wood, the change is a response to shifting needs. “In Canada, multigenerational households have increased in number by 50% since 2001. In the United States, the share of the U.S. population in multigenerational homes has more than doubled, from 7% in 1971 to 18% in 2021.”
Durand-Wood calls on planners and local governments to encourage the construction of multigenerational housing as well as multifamily buildings in new and existing neighborhoods, writing, “Neighborhoods must be permitted to evolve and change” to meet the changing needs of an aging population.
FULL STORY: The Monster House: Why a Change in Neighborhood Scale Isn’t a Bad Thing
How Single-Family Conversions Benefit Both Homeowners and Cities
Converting single-family homes to triplexes can ease the housing crisis and offer affordable, flexible options for more households. Why is it largely illegal?
DC Residents Want Affordability Over ‘Character’
A poll finds that most residents want to see changes in zoning and land use laws that unlock more housing construction in the District and improve affordability.
Anchorage Leaders Support Multigenerational Housing Model
The city is making it easier to build multigenerational housing that can accommodate families, children, and seniors who want to ‘age in place.’
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
Montreal’s Gorilla Park Repurposes Defunct Railway Track
The park is part of a global movement to build public spaces that connect neighbors and work with local elements to serve as key parts of a city’s green infrastructure.
Safe Parking Programs Help People Access Housing
The safety and stability offered by Safe Parking sites have helped 40 percent of unhoused San Diego residents who accessed these programs get into permanent housing.
Study: Single-Staircase Buildings Pose No Additional Risks
Zoning codes have long prohibited single-stair residential buildings due to safety concerns, but changing that could lower the cost of construction and allow for more flexible housing designs.
Forest Service Rescinds Tree Planting Grants
The $75 million program fell victim to the federal government’s purge of ‘DEI’-related projects.
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.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research