Reimagining Housing in Montgomery County, Maryland: Bringing Flexibility to Single Family Zoning

Abstract

This thesis proposes to increase options in a single-use residential zone using a “missing middle” typology to support the future of housing in Montgomery County, Maryland. It is a recommendation to adjust the parameters within the zone to allow up to three units per lot. This directly challenges the current zoning restrictions in the R-60 detached single family residential zone. Ultimately, this thesis strives to show flexibility in multiple unit composition within the detached single-family zone that will maintain the scale and form, the “look and feel”, of the single-family neighborhood while providing more housing for present and future county residents.