Why Did the “Missing Middle” Miss the Train? An Actors-In-Systems Exploration of Barriers to Intensified Family Housing in Waterloo Region, Canada
(1) Background: Missing Middle (MM) housing may be critical to address decreasing housing affordability and to achieve critical density in transit-oriented neighborhoods; however, its production is in decline. We report on a case study of housing development around a new light-rail transit line in t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Land |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/2/434 |
| _version_ | 1797619894360997888 |
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| author | Dawn Cassandra Parker Shahab Valaei Sharif Kaitlin Webber |
| author_facet | Dawn Cassandra Parker Shahab Valaei Sharif Kaitlin Webber |
| author_sort | Dawn Cassandra Parker |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | (1) Background: Missing Middle (MM) housing may be critical to address decreasing housing affordability and to achieve critical density in transit-oriented neighborhoods; however, its production is in decline. We report on a case study of housing development around a new light-rail transit line in the Region of Waterloo, Canada, investigating the puzzle of how a residential building boom coincided with decreasing housing affordability. (2) Methods: Following participatory co-creation and communication of background research characterizing housing demand with stakeholder partners, we created a data narrative arguing that MM housing was desired by residents and profitable for developers and then used it to guide semi-structured interviews with planners and real estate industry stakeholders. Based on these interviews, we developed a qualitative system map and causal loop diagrams that demonstrate interactions between key actors (residents, brokers, planners, developers, and investors) as mediated by boundedly rational real estate demand expectations. (3) Results: Our interviews identify multi-faceted barriers, beyond demand perception, to MM housing development. Systems analysis illustrates how high-density, small-unit high-rise development can become locked in, concurrently locking out MM housing. (4) Conclusions: Our research identifies barriers to MM housing supply by articulating the systemic feedbacks between the planning and land/housing market realms and reveals key leverage points, empowering planners to develop policies that catalyze hoped-for housing market supply responses to increase housing affordability. Based on these findings, we suggest targeted interventions: multi-unit base residential zoning, MM site plan typologies, non-profit and co-op financing, unit-mix requirements, pre-build MM condo purchase by municipalities or non-profits, and MM demonstration projects. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:33:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-56ee62395f9a47b6ad098dd16240ad30 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-445X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:33:28Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Land |
| spelling | doaj.art-56ee62395f9a47b6ad098dd16240ad302023-11-16T21:37:17ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2023-02-0112243410.3390/land12020434Why Did the “Missing Middle” Miss the Train? An Actors-In-Systems Exploration of Barriers to Intensified Family Housing in Waterloo Region, CanadaDawn Cassandra Parker0Shahab Valaei Sharif1Kaitlin Webber2School of Planning, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. W., Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, CanadaSchool of Planning, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. W., Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, CanadaSchool of Planning, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. W., Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada(1) Background: Missing Middle (MM) housing may be critical to address decreasing housing affordability and to achieve critical density in transit-oriented neighborhoods; however, its production is in decline. We report on a case study of housing development around a new light-rail transit line in the Region of Waterloo, Canada, investigating the puzzle of how a residential building boom coincided with decreasing housing affordability. (2) Methods: Following participatory co-creation and communication of background research characterizing housing demand with stakeholder partners, we created a data narrative arguing that MM housing was desired by residents and profitable for developers and then used it to guide semi-structured interviews with planners and real estate industry stakeholders. Based on these interviews, we developed a qualitative system map and causal loop diagrams that demonstrate interactions between key actors (residents, brokers, planners, developers, and investors) as mediated by boundedly rational real estate demand expectations. (3) Results: Our interviews identify multi-faceted barriers, beyond demand perception, to MM housing development. Systems analysis illustrates how high-density, small-unit high-rise development can become locked in, concurrently locking out MM housing. (4) Conclusions: Our research identifies barriers to MM housing supply by articulating the systemic feedbacks between the planning and land/housing market realms and reveals key leverage points, empowering planners to develop policies that catalyze hoped-for housing market supply responses to increase housing affordability. Based on these findings, we suggest targeted interventions: multi-unit base residential zoning, MM site plan typologies, non-profit and co-op financing, unit-mix requirements, pre-build MM condo purchase by municipalities or non-profits, and MM demonstration projects.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/2/434Missing Middlehousing suitabilitylatent demandsystems mappingcomplex systemsland and housing markets |
| spellingShingle | Dawn Cassandra Parker Shahab Valaei Sharif Kaitlin Webber Why Did the “Missing Middle” Miss the Train? An Actors-In-Systems Exploration of Barriers to Intensified Family Housing in Waterloo Region, Canada Land Missing Middle housing suitability latent demand systems mapping complex systems land and housing markets |
| title | Why Did the “Missing Middle” Miss the Train? An Actors-In-Systems Exploration of Barriers to Intensified Family Housing in Waterloo Region, Canada |
| title_full | Why Did the “Missing Middle” Miss the Train? An Actors-In-Systems Exploration of Barriers to Intensified Family Housing in Waterloo Region, Canada |
| title_fullStr | Why Did the “Missing Middle” Miss the Train? An Actors-In-Systems Exploration of Barriers to Intensified Family Housing in Waterloo Region, Canada |
| title_full_unstemmed | Why Did the “Missing Middle” Miss the Train? An Actors-In-Systems Exploration of Barriers to Intensified Family Housing in Waterloo Region, Canada |
| title_short | Why Did the “Missing Middle” Miss the Train? An Actors-In-Systems Exploration of Barriers to Intensified Family Housing in Waterloo Region, Canada |
| title_sort | why did the missing middle miss the train an actors in systems exploration of barriers to intensified family housing in waterloo region canada |
| topic | Missing Middle housing suitability latent demand systems mapping complex systems land and housing markets |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/2/434 |
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