How making residential building requirements more flexible can ease the housing crisis and make neighborhoods more livable for more households.

In a piece for Strong Towns, Ben Abramson explains why minimum lot size requirements often stifle new housing development and lead to higher housing costs and a dearth of affordable housing for smaller households.
Advocates for incremental development suggest that cities should adjust their zoning codes to allow for more flexible, affordable development that makes use of existing infrastructure to increase the housing supply, eliminating expensive approval processes whose costs get passed on to buyers. “Enabling a fee-simple transaction lets buyers own the dirt under their property and gives underwriters greater confidence in its viability. The more ways your community can enable builders to develop housing options with fee-simple sales, the faster they can address North America’s glaring housing shortage.”
Portland, Oregon developer Neil Heller says incremental development, such as building multiple housing units or subdivided homes on single-family zoned lots, doesn’t bring about the massive changes some people fear. “Yes, you do notice change, but it's almost imperceptible … the average person just going down the street would probably not even notice what's going on in the backyard.”
Some cities, such as Austin and Houston, have reduced minimum lot sizes as part of zoning reforms to both encourage denser, more walkable development and boost the housing supply.
FULL STORY: How Minimum Lot Size Requirements Maximize the Housing Crisis

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

North Texas Transit Leaders Tout Benefits of TOD for Growing Region
At a summit focused on transit-oriented development, policymakers discussed how North Texas’ expanded light rail system can serve as a tool for economic growth.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

San Mateo Formally Opposes Freeway Project
The city council will send a letter to Caltrans urging the agency to reconsider a plan to expand the 101 through the city of San Mateo.

A Bronx Community Fights to Have its Voice Heard
After organizing and giving input for decades, the community around the Kingsbridge Armory might actually see it redeveloped — and they want to continue to have a say in how it goes.

Houston Mayor Promises Dedicated Austin Street Bike Lane After Public Backlash
Although the one-way bike lane won’t be protected by physical barriers, the proposal is an improvement over the mayor’s initial plan to only include sharrows on the Austin Street project.
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