Ali Ata: Missing Middle Housing Offers Walkability, Affordability, and Sense of Community
Missing middle” describes neighborhoods composed of houses that are somewhere between high-rise apartment buildings and single-family homes. Ali Ata says cities and towns across the US are beginning to see the benefits of developing missing middle housing.
The term “missing middle” came from architect and urban planner Daniel Parolek in 2013, but the concept isn’t new. Before the 1940s, small-scale, multi-unit
housing types are found interspersed throughout neighborhoods in the US.
Duplexes, triplexes, townhouses, rowhouses, and other missing middle housing
types are generally built to the same scale as single-family homes, allowing
them to blend discreetly among neighborhoods consisting mostly of detached
units.
After World War II, factors
such as zoning laws and changed home-buying preferences led to the popularity
of single-family housing and the development of car-dependent suburbs. Ali Ata
says fewer communities developed small-scale, multi-unit homes. In recent
years, however, missing middle housing has grown in demand.
Proponents of
missing middle housing believe that it can help meet the demand for housing in
urban areas without building high-rises or even mid-rises. Unlike tall,
residential buildings, house-scale properties containing two or more units
increase housing density without negatively affecting its livability or the
aesthetics of the neighborhood it’s
in.
Additionally, missing middle
housing development can:
•
Provide housing
options that are more affordable than single-family units
•
Build walkable neighborhoods
•
Bring more
residents in to support nearby retail stores, restaurants, and transit options
•
Lower rents in
the community by increasing the supply of housing
Ali Ata believes that the benefits of missing middle housing make it an ideal option for homebuyers from all walks of life. Young adults, families, and older adults increasingly prefer to live in walkable, transit-oriented neighborhoods. Apart from being convenient, missing middle housing offers a strong sense of community valued by homebuyers across all demographics and income brackets.
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