In Defense of The Row House

Typecast: The Row House

One of the housing options that is currently difficult to build in Eugene is the Row House-- the stable missing middle housing of traditional urban neighborhoods, is prohibited in most neighborhoods in Eugene, and where it is allowed, its use is very restricted. The South Willamette Special Area Zone proposes to make constructing this form of housing easier, and the Architectural League's Urban Omnibus provides an in depth look at the history and form of the Row House.

These small buildings are an overlooked element of an urban housing stock that draws strength and versatility from its varied forms... The row house is home to billionaires and public housing residents alike, but mostly it’s a stable source of middle-class housing. Row houses and related types offer affordability and stability for tenants, wealth-building opportunities for non-professional landlords, and entry points for small developers.
— Emily Schmidt, Urban Omnibus