03/09/2020
One place where Kansas City is well ahead of the majority of American cities in terms of housing diversity is in its abundance of "Missing Middle" housing. These building types, such as duplexes, fourplexes, and bungalow courts, provide diverse housing options to support walkable communities, locally-serving retail, and public transportation options. They've been given the term “Missing” because they have typically not been built since the mid-1940s and “Middle” because they sit in the middle of a spectrum between detached single-family homes and mid/high-rise apartment buildings, in terms of form and scale, as well as the number of units and affordability.
In many American cities, this housing type is lacking, as existing buildings were demolished during urban renewal. Fortunately, significant missing middle housing has survived in KC, which helps balance the mismatch between available housing stock and shifting demographics combined with the growing demand for walkability. Because this kind of development uses land and resources much more efficiently, it can meet the needs of various types of households. Young couples, teachers, single professionals, and baby boomers are among those looking for ways to live in a walkable neighborhood, but without the cost and maintenance of a single-family home.
After decades of almost exclusively building to accommodate a drivable suburban way of life, many agree this country is in the middle of a structural shift toward a walkable urban environment. It's good to know KC has a head start!