The image above is from a report detailing Portland’s successful Residential Infill Project (RIP).
By contrast to Portland, Raleigh’s missing middle rules promote profitability, but they fail at every other community goal: affordability, neighborhood compatibility, walkability, accessibility and equity.
By excluding community goals, Raleigh’s missing middle rules have created a situation where the missing middle infill being built is very big, very unaffordable, incompatible with its surroundings and more often than not, demolishes rather than increases Raleigh’s supply of affordable dwellings.
Without community goals for success or metrics to measure progress toward those goals, Raleigh’s missing middle rules will only continue to decrease housing affordability, compatibility, walkability, accessibility and equity.
Councilors and candidates seem paralyzed by the problem, but they needn’t be. Other cities have set thoughtful community goals and have documented their success in reaching their goals.
Portland Oregon has a well documented record of success as outlined in the attached report.
The first step forward for Raleigh is to identify the community goals as Portland did and direct staff to bring back an amended missing middle ordinance that will implement and measure progress toward Raleigh’s community goals.
Focus on setting goals and metrics to improve three things that are missing in Raleigh’s Missing Middle rules:
- Affordability
- Compatibility
- Walkability
See excerpts from the Portland Residential Infill Project report below.
Livable Raleigh Editorial Team
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