12
Sep
A Focus on Building Better Housing
At Build Small Live Large 2019, the only national housing summit of its kind, the line-up of speakers includes innovators working to change regulations, address infill needs, create smaller footprint communities, design more accessible spaces, and lead the way towards more affordable homes.
Presenters will share what’s working in their cities, while promoting the best strategies to regulate, design, build, and finance smaller homes and “Missing Middle” housing options.

JOHNSON COTTAGE, BY CAST ARCHITECTURE, VIA SIGHTLINE INSTITUTE
Session Spotlight
Meeting in the Middle – Effective Zoning Strategies for Missing Middle Housing
Hear code update stories from people with hands-on experience creating zoning changes. This panel represents diverse sizes and geographic areas across Cascadia. It covers how each speaker approached zoning for ADUs, plexes, cottage clusters, small multifamily housing, and other innovative housing types.
Learn how to address hot-button issues such as density, off-street parking requirements, and “neighborhood compatibility” in your region.
The discussion will include:
- the content of the code updates;
- the process of updating the code through public engagement with stakeholder groups, developers, neighborhood activists, and elected officials;
- integrating insights into zoning revisions;
- and addressing common concerns.
Changes to Building, Zoning Strategies

BY ANNIE GRAY, VIA UNSPLASH
- Changing the rules for residential neighborhoods: Creating more choices and smaller homes in our communities over the next 5-10 years, to match the diversity of real households.
- How cities across the country are applying accessibility requirements to single family homes and small plexes in residential neighborhoods.
- Effective communication and engagement strategies for passing legislation – whether it’s state laws or local zoning ordinances.
- Tracking changes in your local housing supply by measuring the effect of incentives, with a focus on the small and middle housing types that often disappear in the data.
Check Out Build Small Live Large’s 2019 Schedule.
Join us Thursday, November 7 for a full day of talks by innovative housing leaders, builders, and policymakers. And check out the ADU Academy or the Historic Bus Tour on Friday, November 8.