• Designing missing middle for a small infill site

    A balanced project with placemaking that meets the market and gets public approval requires patience and understanding of building types.
    Note: This is Part 2. In our previous post showing how we design Missing Middle Housing for small sites, we reviewed some initial steps, including conceptual studies for a small site master plan in Novato, California. Now, we’re going to look at the steps we took to refine the preferred alternative...Read more

  • How parking rules impact urban design

    Are your parking rules the actual urban design guidelines for your community? Drawing up a couple of site plans using your current rules may reveal some ugly reality. Thanks to the good folks at Kronberg Wall Architects and Urbanists for this great graphic. Please be sure to credit them and keep...Read more

  • Can Nashville truly be an Athens?

    Let’s Move Nashville is a transformative transit initiative that is now in front of the electorate—alternative futures for the city are at stake.
    A far-reaching transit initiative, Let’s Move Nashville, is up for public referendum in the Athens of the South. Voting begins today and ends May 1 in a tightly contested ballot measure that is important for the future of Nashville, Tennessee, and has implications for car-oriented cities nationwide...Read more

  • Missing middle: Why form and scale matter

    The "missing middle" opens lines of communication about diverse housing choices that are compatible in form and scale with detached, single-family homes in walkable neighborhoods.
    Lately, we’ve noticed people using the term “ Missing Middle Housing ” solely in an economic sense, to refer to the lack of attainable housing for middle income households. And while Missing Middle Housing is an excellent solution for middle income households , form, scale and context are also...Read more