Tag: zoning

  • Fourplexes and Flexibility

    Fourplexes and Flexibility

    Fourplexes have many advantages for communities and their residents. Some of the advantages, when compared generally to single-family on the same parcel size, are: Higher property values and tax income Promote the density needed for retail investment and therefore walkability Great first-time investor owner-occupied opportunities (aka house hacking) Consolidated maintenance Can be financed through single-family…

  • Should We Save Your City? Minimum Viable Urbanism

    Should We Save Your City? Minimum Viable Urbanism

    Many cities around the world are experiencing migration from smaller rural towns to larger cities. That’s not new. What makes a town or a city enough of a city to focus our efforts on? What predicts the difference between a strong town, a quaint tourist destination, or a blighted or even ghost town? In entrepreneur…

  • Inherent Urban Fragility: Zoning and Software Paradigms

    Inherent Urban Fragility: Zoning and Software Paradigms

    What do zoning and software have in common? What does either contribute to city fragility? They both create outcomes based on codes. While software lends itself to rapid iteration, testing, and debugging, zoning often produces unintended consequences literally set in stone. While the parallels are far from perfect, it’s instructive to compare the two. Many…