UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — An upcoming Penn State Extension webinar will focus on “missing middle” housing, a term that describes a range of multifamily or clustered building types, such as duplexes, rowhomes and courtyard apartments, that are compatible in scale with single-family homes. According to organizers, “missing middle” housing is intended to meet the demand for walkable neighborhoods, respond to changing demographics and provide housing at different price points.
Presenting the 75-minute webinar at noon Sept. 21 will be Ron Henshaw, director of planning and development services for Cranberry Township and member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, and Kyle Beidler, strategic planning officer for Cranberry Township.
In 2010, Daniel Parolek of Opticos Design introduced the term “missing middle” housing to planners and communities. The term refers to denser housing alternatives that historically were integrated into walkable neighborhoods. Such developments were common in the United States before World War II but now are “missing” in communities.
Presenters will discuss the concept of “missing middle” housing and share how Cranberry Township has worked to create greater flexibility and remove regulatory barriers imposed by typical Euclidean zoning. The webinar will examine the township’s recently adopted planned neighborhood overlay. Attendees can learn about important metrics for communities to consider when analyzing existing housing stock and planning for long-term solvency and financial sustainability.
“Missing Middle Housing” is the third webinar in the monthly Penn State Extension Summer/Fall 2022 Land-Use Webinar Series that runs through November. The series informs municipal elected and appointed officials, planners, landowners, farmers, and community organizations about land-use issues and decisions in their communities.
Other topics and dates in the webinar series include the following:
— July 20: “Planning in Rural Pennsylvania in 2020.”
— Aug. 17: “Dealing With Difficult Issues”
— Oct. 19: “Green Corridors, Blue Corridors: Planning to Protect Our Natural Assets.”
— Nov. 16: “Hazard Mitigation Planning.”
All programs will be recorded and available for future viewing.
The cost of the webinar series is $50 for all five sessions, or $95 for all five sessions for those who want to receive AICP certification-maintenance credits from the American Planning Association. The cost also is $95 for all five sessions for professional engineers needing PDH credits.
In addition, registered landscape architects can receive continuing-education credits for a fee of $65.
For anyone interested in a particular topic from the series, individual session registration is available for a fee of $15 per session.
For more information, contact Peter Wulfhorst at 570-296-3400 or by email at ptw3@psu.edu. To register for the webinars, visit the Penn State Extension website.