Chicago Metro Regional Missing Middle Housing Toolkit
Chicago, IL
Opticos partnered with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and 18 Chicago-area municipalities to advance Missing Middle Housing through a six-part webinar series, a hands-on site planning workshop, and a comprehensive neighborhood toolkit. We produced a regional playbook tailored to communities of all sizes, demographics, market conditions, and urban contexts, offering practical strategies for housing reform. Our team developed test fits for representative site conditions, illustrating how zoning standards can shape real development opportunities across the Chicago region. Released in June 2025, this work serves as a resource for planners, policymakers, and elected leaders working toward attainable housing solutions.
Inspiring Collective Change
Through the toolkit process, leaders from 18 municipalities formed a peer network to explore new approaches to housing in their communities. Opticos facilitated this collaboration, guiding participants to understand Missing Middle Housing and envision how design, zoning, and policy reforms could create more attainable, context-sensitive housing solutions across the region.
Housing Webinar Series
Opticos led a six-part webinar series that introduced planners and policymakers to the fundamentals of Missing Middle Housing, including zoning reform, financing tools, design strategies, and case studies from across the region.
Missing Middle Housing Workshop
The series culminated in a hands-on workshop where 30+ participants tested housing types on real-world infill sites. This interactive format allowed them to examine zoning impacts, explore development conditions, and consider strategies for creating more walkable neighborhoods.
MMH Development Opportunity Scenarios
When communities applied to be part of the peer network, they were asked to submit local sites for MMH test fits. Opticos evaluated all of the sites submitted and categorized them into three development opportunity categories:
- Neighborhood infill: or sites within neighborhoods that feature parcels between 30′ and 70′ wide, prime for house-scale MMH.
- Underutilized corridors: common in Chicago communities, underutilized corridors are appropriate for larger MMH types that contribute to walkability.
- Large sites: many communities submitted sites greater than two acres, which require large site design considerations to create new neighborhood patterns.
Case Studies
The toolkit incorporates case studies of real-world examples, showing how communities across the region have begun enabling Missing Middle Housing. These examples highlight zoning reforms, financing approaches, design solutions, and community engagement strategies, offering practical lessons that can be adapted to different contexts. They illustrate both the challenges municipalities face and the creative tools available to expand housing choice.