Missing Middle Housing: Thinking Big and Building Small to Respond to Today’s Housing Crisis

by Daniel G. Parolek

Today, there is a tremendous mismatch between the available housing stock in the US and the housing options that people want and need. The post-WWII, auto-centric, single-family-development model no longer meets the needs of residents. Urban areas in the US are experiencing dramatically shifting household and cultural demographics and a growing demand for walkable urban living.
 
Missing Middle Housing, a term coined by Daniel Parolek, describes the walkable, desirable, yet attainable housing that many people across the country are struggling to find. Missing Middle Housing types—such as duplexes, fourplexes, and bungalow courts—can provide options along a spectrum of affordability.
 
In Missing Middle Housing, Parolek, an architect and urban designer, illustrates the power of these housing types to meet today’s diverse housing needs. With the benefit of beautiful full-color graphics, Parolek goes into depth about the benefits and qualities of Missing Middle Housing. The book demonstrates why more developers should be building Missing Middle Housing and defines the barriers cities need to remove to enable it to be built. Case studies of built projects show what is possible, from  the Prairie Queen Neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska to the Sonoma Wildfire Cottages, in California. A chapter from urban scholar Arthur C. Nelson uses data analysis to highlight the urgency to deliver Missing Middle Housing.
 
Parolek proves that density is too blunt of an instrument to effectively regulate for twenty-first-century housing needs. Complete industries and systems will have to be rethought to help deliver the broad range of Missing Middle Housing needed to meet the demand, as this book shows. Whether you are a planner, architect, builder, or city leader, Missing Middle Housing will help you think differently about how to address housing needs for today’s communities.

Genres: Urban Planning, Urbanism, Nonfiction, Architecture, Cities, Urban, Design

328 pages, Paperback

First published July 14, 2020

Reviews

[Matthew Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intended more for professional planners or developers than lay housing activists (ahem) but it offers a good overview of lots of gorgeous, quaint housing forms (the sort that comprise some of the most picturesque, beloved and thus unaffordable neighborhoods in the country) that have been illegal in lots of places for half a century.

It also makes the case that housing forms rather than density should be the target to convince both policymakers and belligerent neighborhood defenders that retrofitting an old home into a triplex or a fourplex or building a not-too-tall apartment building that architecturally matches the neighborhood won't cause the sun to explode or anything (looking at you, Robert Reich).

Honestly though, all these lovely ADUs and garden apartments made me deeply wistful to have my own little place with a garden out front in a nice walkable community.

[Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cities rarely zone/allow anything other than single-family housing or large apartment complexes - but rarely any type of housing in between; hence “missing middle housing”. Most quaint, old American towns - think pre-WWII Victorian buildings and grid streets - are currently illegal when it comes to most zoning code. Middle housing attempts to address the lack of affordability in housing while at the same time improving the range of housing types available for young families, single professionals, and senior couples who aren’t looking for a 3,000 square foot suburban home but don’t want to live in a high rise.

The concept of missing middle housing is really just the traditional way that we used to incrementally build cities at human scale; lots of people were developers or contractors of their own neighborhoods in some way. However, now we either have the single-family home or the institutional, investor-back real estate company building large scale apartment complexes (don’t even get me started on garden style apartments).

Missing middle housing is sadly a revolutionary concept of a historically un-revolutionary fact. Human scale cities that placed the priority on humans rather than parking cars (suburbia) or returns on investment (large apartment complexes).

Good book; fantastic concept.

[Kahlin Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential guide for housing advocates, planners, and communities looking to build housing in existing neighbourhoods that can meet the diverse needs of all residents. Missing Middle Housing provides attainable dwelling options to meet the needs throughout an individual's lifetime, and creates neigbourhoods that are diverse, desirable, and walkable. Colourful illustrations help demonstrate why cities need to eliminate barriers that prevent this kind of housing from being built, and informs developers on how to do it.

[J.C. Shepard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anybody concerned about the future of their community, from citizen planners to elected officials and particularly urban planners. I don't agree with all of the policy proposals in this book--no city is one size fits all--but all of these policy proposals deserve to be thought about, talked about, and discussed.

[Evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's little doubt Parolek and his colleagues have moved mountains in the public discourse over housing types. This book captures the why and what, through an architect's lens.

Sadly, it feels at once unhuman - the housing photos lack people in them, by and large, and based on a premise that is undefended and unexplored: that it's okay to have exclusionary neighborhoods based on the aesthetics of things being house-sized. It's true, of course, that making duplexes and triplexes and so on appear just like single-unit homes can make them more politically palatable. But why is that the limit? Why should those neighborhoods expand only slightly in population, excluding the less fortunate, BIPOC communities, and so on?

The basic brand also has its drawback; though "missing middle" is wonderfully alliterative and sparks curiousity, it confuses people and leads people to think about middle-income housing. Again, some political gain there - but at an assertion of confusion. The book notes there's often confusion about it. I've wanted to rebrand this "traditional housing choices," based on invoking a term that is more compelling to those who are more likely to resist such housing (tradition).

There are a few typos and factual errors, including a mischaracterization of Oregon's law in housing.

So yes, this is an important yet flawed book, and captures a critical action in bringing traditional housing types back into the realm of the possible. Recommended for those new to the ideas.

[alexander shay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book came through at the library and caught my curiosity. Even though it says in the intro that this book is for everyone, it does feel significantly more geared towards developers and policy makers; it goes on at depth about why middle housing is a good investment and how to structure the buildings on lots so they work, etc. As a general public reader, I just wanted to know what "missing middle housing" was, why it was missing, and why "finding" it would be a good idea. I personally didn't really need to know the ins and outs of all the types, and also found the book as a whole rather repetitive on the topic of 'missing middle is needed because it doesn't exist really and is more affordable'.

I'd be curious on the research done in the Canadian market, since at least where I live, people are tearing down single family homes and replacing them with duplexes all over the city, and yet said duplexes are almost $500k, which is hardly affordable and surely at least double the cost of the house originally on the lot.

[Maddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely amazing book that offers a solution to the housing crisis that is achievable at any scale. From putting an ADU in your back yard, to converting an old home into 4 units, to creating a community on an empty lot housing as many as 12 people. Taking a lot that would normally house 2 people and give 12 people homes sounds like it shouldn't work but it really can.

Some critiques I have mostly relate to the lack of consideration towards climate change. But considering the amount of information in this book, it is understandable. Much of the planning techniques mentioned do overlap with sustainable planning techniques so I get why they didn't really emphasize sustainability. They're already pushing a very radical idea, the author doesn't want to completely alienate anyone who might pioneer some of these planning concepts.

Overall, if you want to find out more about housing types, urban planning, and how to provide more housing, I highly suggest reading this book.

[Zack Subin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a comprehensive guidebook on a critical and timely topic. It was directed more predominantly at designers and advocates than a general audience. The images of real projects and diagrams of housing typologies are compelling and it is obvious how they helped change the conversation around these issues. It's hard for me to read this, and other books by this publisher, and not want to live in the housing designs described myself!

The writing could sometimes be tightened, and some assumptions were not made transparent, such as the goal of maintaining some aesthetics of existing neighborhoods-- because this is inherently good, or because this is needed to appease neighbors who might otherwise oppose improvements? This was not made clear.

[Tim Staub · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is no silver bullet to solve America's housing crisis, however Mr. Parolek's excellent work provides potential solutions. Backed up with data, he provides several ideas that can help house more people in your community without building towers or anything out of character. The most interesting thing is that many of these ideas are often sitting under our noses in the building down the street.

[Andres Nieto · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.2/5
Not sure who the target audience is for this book. At times it feels like a urbanist’s appeal to real estate bros - at other times it feels like an architect’s appeal to zoning/land development administrators. Either way, I’m 100% stealing the dimensions provided for MMH typologies for current and future projects. If you have aspirations of real estate investing, or simply watch too much Chip & Joanna Gaines, this book might help you avoid ruining a neighborhood block.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gets five stars because it is a book that is timely for both policy makers and planning and development practitioners. This book is filled with housing history and how and why this form of housing is “missing” and what we can do to provide more housing that will hopefully provide housing options for more people who are in such need.

[Jeff Wachter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really in depth discussion about how to thicken our urban neighborhoods with Missing Middle housing - duplexes, quadplexes, cottage courts, etc. - without dramatically changing the look and feel of the block. I particularly appreciated suggestions for how to sell the ideas and actually get the necessary changes implemented. Now the hard part of actually making this happen where I live...

[Eric Drucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was a really interesting look into the population of the US and different forms of housing that can help make housing more affordable for people of all different demographics to purchase. I also thought it was an interesting insight on the transition of housing to people transitioning from single family homes to these new types of housing.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dan is a thought leader in this area. Appreciate his insights. Have had the privilege of hearing him speak several times, including being on a panel discussion on a project he highlights in Papillion, NE.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good read.

It was a very interesting book on the housing issues of our generations.

With inflation so high, and the housing crisis at new records, this was a powerful read on some mitigations towards solutions.

3.9/5

[Joanne C Desjardins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book packed full of ideas and case studies

Wonderful book full of ideas and case studies for addressing the housing crisis affecting the US and other international locations. I will apply this knowledge to my career in international real estate development.

[Nathan M · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of great illustrative depictions of different housing options and some thoughtful commentary on what aligns with the character of a neighborhood. More of an options playbook and maybe more oriented to the planning level than small developer level, but still a fan of the content

[Denny Troncoso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for redevelopment! Highly recommend. Great ideas for solving affordable housing problems.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative on the topic with excellent support graphics, photos, and case studies.

[Julien Denis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good factual information about missing middle housing. Recommend if you want a good technically read.

[Erin Hoops · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy read about a very timely topic. It helped me understand what needs to change in order to enable local builders to increase our housing options.

[EC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book with clear, practical advice on how to approach the growing demand for Missing Middle housing. Great case studies, illustrations and examples.

[Leigh Henry · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an interesting approach to the increasing of allowed density that might work in some cities. However, as the book notes, there are no large-scale builders interested in this product and even a fourplex is subject to Fair housing regulation, IBC codes, and the like. This approach would also require a lot more political courage than I am used to seeing.

I think this book would have been stronger if it had focused more on innovative approaches that bring scale to the issue of affordable housing.

[Du · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased the electronic copy of the book, and I wish I had a paper copy, because I think the layout and the images/illustrations are worth seeing at a bigger scale and while you can zoom in, the feeling isn’t the same. Overall this is a very strong read and an intelligent and well sourced look at the ways we can address housing affordability and diversity.