We've written about "density without demolition". This means adding housing to a neighborhood without tearing down the existing houses. One way to do this is through accessory dwelling units (ADU). An ADU is a separate, legal housing unit with kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom(s), that is added to an existing house. It can be in the basement or a new detached structure in the backyard. Garages can be converted to ADUs. Sometimes ADUs are built in the main floors of the hous

With the Residential Infill Project (RIP) headed to hearings at the Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission (PSC) in May, we will be writing a lot about RIP in the coming month. RIP as currently drafted is a sweeping re-zoning of 70% of Portland's single family house neighborhoods to permit duplexes or triplexes on every lot. For what RIP will mean for Laurelhurst, read this. For what RIP will mean if Laurelhurst becomes a historic district, read this. For everythin