Cluster Housing: The Next Generation

This presentation will present a case study of lessons learned from Milwaukie’s update of its cottage cluster ordinance. The process to produce an innovative cluster housing code involved the use of pro-forma-based planning, empowering developers to build better communities and get them done more quickly and efficiently; the community is engaged with in a collaborative rather than confrontational manner; and the city sees the benefits of smarter development patterns. The new cluster housing code seeks to create more economic opportunities to provide housing within the infill context, including market-rate affordable workforce housing. Cluster housing product types, including cottage clusters, townhome clusters, apartment clusters, and others, can be found in communities great and small. These updated cluster housing standards are meant to be a template that can be used by many different community types, as they are scalable from lower intensity contexts in neighborhoods, to higher intensities around high-quality transit and in commercial and mixed-use areas.

Presenter:
Garlynn Woodsong
Planning + Development Partner
Cascadia Partners, LLC