Housing and Community Development

Across the county, zoning and building code reforms are reintroducing denser forms of housing into neighborhoods. Some middle housing infill types, such as ADUs, are well known, but small-scale multiplexes, or stacked flats, have greater potential to rejuvenate neighborhoods, unlock less expensive housing options, counter the displacement of vulnerable residents, and lower carbon footprints per capita. Despite their promise, stacked flat middle housing is more likely to face stiff headwinds from neighbors, complications with zoning and building code, and difficulties with financing. The seminar will discuss how stacked flat middle housing can be a template for integrating new housing opportunities in existing neighborhoods, at a more efficient scale for development. Stacked flats present opportunities to unlock new housing supply in neighborhoods that have not seen new investment or on sites that would otherwise be overlooked by large multifamily developers due to size or difficulty. The seminar will highlight creative vertical circulation that is often necessary, such as single stair code reform and multi-story units to achieve viability.

Learning Objectives

• Identify challenges for small multiplexes and compare strategies for overcoming them, including building code, building systems and egress.
• Explore successful tactics for overcoming neighborhood opposition to the scale of new stacked flat development.
• Analyze difficult, small, or leftover sites to generate new housing opportunities without displacement, in proximity, which supports walkability and social interaction.
• Identify creative vertical circulation, such as single stair and multistory units, which increase feasibility and maximize unit yield, without compromising egress.