They’re tackling the tough one: Council to consider rezoning for higher density housing
The City Council will debate how much of Portland’s existing single-family neighborhoods to rezone for higher densities on Wednesday.
That is when the council is scheduled to consider the recommendations prepared by the staff on the Residential Infill Project for the final time this year. The most controversial one would rezone nearly two-thirds of single-family neighborhoods to allow the construction of so-called missing middle housing, ranging from duplexes and cottage clusters
Many city residents are split over how much rezoning is necessary to create more housing options and accommodate the 123,000 new households expected here by 2035.
More here.
That is when the council is scheduled to consider the recommendations prepared by the staff on the Residential Infill Project for the final time this year. The most controversial one would rezone nearly two-thirds of single-family neighborhoods to allow the construction of so-called missing middle housing, ranging from duplexes and cottage clusters
Many city residents are split over how much rezoning is necessary to create more housing options and accommodate the 123,000 new households expected here by 2035.
More here.
To which there is an excellent comment (in that article’s comment section):
“Why has the city council not simply declared a policy that ALL neighborhoods are subject to the SAME density requirements? Its current approach screams of elitism and economic discrimination.
The Urban Growth Boundary does NOT require that only low-income neighborhoods should have increased density but NOT high-income neighborhoods. On what basis does ANY neighborhood claim MORE rights to “maintain” its character then any other? Answer: There is NONE.
Portland’s city council already executes a PUBLIC HOUSING* policy of ECONOMIC SEGREGATION. A housing density policy also based on ECONOMIC SEGREGATION would be a very, very bad idea.”
That’s technically true but a touch melodramatic. Permitting duplexes (duplexes for crying out loud) to be built in one neighbourhood and not another hardly dooms the former into becoming a vertical favela hellscpe out of Judge Dredd. Let’s retain some perspective.
You’re correct that this is Portland and despite their liberal sheen, they’ve historically been no less exclusionary than other US cities when it comes to housing policy. But opposing what is actually a fairly modest “density” plan because it’s not applied to every neighbourhood (rich and not rich) just needlessly pits the great against the good. It’s also a pretty disingenuous backdoor means of scuttling any change whatsoever.