New urbanism reshapes housing in Oklahoma

By: Kathryn McNutt//The Journal Record//November 9, 2023

City planners, architects and developers agree what’s old is new again as the new urbanism movement grows across the country and in Oklahoma.

New urbanism is a return to a development approach based on how cities and towns were built for centuries before the post-WWII urban sprawl with low-density, single-family houses spiraling outward from the urban center, which left residents dependent on automobiles even for short trips.

The nonprofit Congress for the New Urbanism urges stepping back in time when people could walk to the neighborhood grocery store, shops, cafes and offices. It favors mixed-use development over the single-use districts of the 1980s and accessible public spaces.

Oklahoma City and Edmond are updating zoning codes to allow for more walkable and mixed-use development that focuses on people and how they want to live.

“A lot of regulations in conventional codes speak to what cannot be done. New urbanism is more about what you can do,” architect Anthony Catania said.

It promotes form-based codes that work toward the scale and character of the community with an end goal in mind, said Catania, founder of AMC Architecture & Design.

Walkable neighborhoods require smaller setbacks and lot sizes and mixed uses like commercial spaces on the ground floor and residential upstairs, he said. Historic towns that once had that make it illegal now with current zoning codes.

New urbanism incorporates missing middle housing types – accessory dwelling units, duplexes, fourplexes, town homes – which are needed options for “gently increasing density” in single-family residential areas, Catania said.

But they are prohibited by codes and protested by homeowners who worry they will decrease property values.

The historic Heritage Hills neighborhood near downtown Oklahoma City disproves that, Catania said. The neighborhood includes many missing middle types, yet several homes are listed for sale at more than $1 million. “You don’t even know they’re there. They’re filling a need,” he said.

A missing middle project he is working on now is 103 N Broadway, a multibuilding mixed-use development in downtown Edmond. The four-story main building will include a restaurant on the main floor, office space on the second and third floors, and a rooftop terrace private event space on the fourth floor. The project also includes three live/work units, two town homes and three accessory dwelling units above the garage space.

New urban living

The developer, Matthew Myers with Switchgrass Capital, also is developing two pocket neighborhoods in Edmond’s urban core that embrace new urbanism.

The Lark, located just west of downtown, will offer 40 luxury modern cottages. Construction began last year, and about half of the homes have sold.

The Ember will be a pocket neighborhood of 23 one-, two- and three-bedroom homes at the northwest corner of Ninth Street and Boulevard. Groundwork has just begun.

Both neighborhoods will have common areas and amenities and are within walking distance of shops, cafes, restaurants and grocery stores.

“We’re trying to offer a solution that doesn’t exist in the market,” Myers said, noting Edmond is full of three-bedroom, two-bathroom, 2,200-square-foot houses and 60% have one or two people living in them. “It’s a housing mismatch.”

Many homeowners use only 800 or 1,100 square feet of the space, he said. They can downsize and get rid of the yardwork and stop heating and cooling spare rooms full of clutter.

“Equally important is walkability to everything,” Myers said. The concept encourages people to get to know their neighbors and build relationships with local shopkeepers.

“People want better relationships in their life. You can do that walking down a sidewalk,” Myers said. “You’re seeing a shift. This is a national trend.”

He said people in all stages of life are moving into these neighborhoods – singles, married couples with children, empty-nesters.

Affordability issue

Ryan Chapman, a 2020 graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma, embraces the urbanist lifestyle.

He purchased a 100-year-old, 800-square-foot house in downtown Edmond that allows him to walk to his favorite coffee shop, brewery, bookstore and grocery store. He also walks to the frequent festivals and events downtown.

The only place he can’t walk is to work. “I would likely take a pay cut to work from home,” said Chapman, a real estate analyst specializing in multifamily properties for Capstone Apartment Partners.

“Edmond is getting better at its walkability, but we’re in such a car-centric, car-heavy community,” he said.

He would like to see neighborhoods outside the central business district – where zoning allows more flexibility – have overlay districts to allow accessory dwelling units by right, lower minimum parking requirements and smaller setbacks.

Edmond’s biggest challenge is lack of affordable housing that could attract more young professionals like himself, Chapman said.

The average monthly rent for all apartments in Edmond is $1,041, he said, noting the only higher average in the metro area is downtown Oklahoma City.

“Edmond housing is unattainable for most,” said Christy Batterson, the city’s housing and community development manager.

A recent housing study showed broad support for more housing variety in Edmond and substantial demand for more housing across all price points. Edmond needs 8,900 homes over the next 10 years. Achieving this target will require a change in approach from everyone involved in the housing ecosystem, according to the study.