Co-founder of MDDL/Co-founder of RNDSQR/ Building scalable and simplified middle housing solutions/Doctorate candidate at University of Calgary/Top 40 under 40/Guest Lecturer at UC Berkeley MRED
I read an interesting article about a "housing glitch" - or is it just a matter of nomenclature? Are these glitches leading to the desired outcomes? People often ask me about middle housing and whether it's a cottage cluster or just more ADUs. It's interesting how the way things are defined can determine whether they are acceptable or not. I believe we need to change our approach. We should start by thinking about the end goal. What is the objective when it comes to gentle density or adding more ground-oriented units to our established neighborhoods? In my opinion, we've spent too much time discussing non-negotiables like whether the density is appropriate or what to do about parking, and not enough time investing in the things that matter most to all stakeholders - building strong, resilient, safe, vibrant, and hopefully affordable communities. Regardless of what we call it, I know it's important, and I'm excited about the work we're doing with the team at mddl to make it more approachable for everyone!
