Preserving Rural Character through Compact Growth

Responding to a housing crisis that forced people working in Jackson to commute long distances to find affordable housing, the plan uses Missing Middle Housing to deliver attainable workforce housing at a profit to the developer while providing homes to people working in Jackson and Teton County. Opticos led a multi-disciplinary consultant team to create development alternatives for the site that illustrate how affordability and financial feasibility would be impacted by different combinations of housing types.

Opticos recommended adjustments to the Town of Jackson’s existing zoning code to incorporate form-based elements that would deliver the vision set forth by the neighborhood plan.

Opticos developed a palette of character areas with varying building forms, densities and uses, each of which supports affordable and attainable housing options. Mixed-use neighborhood centers anchor walkable residential neighborhoods to reduce the need for car trips and provide gathering spaces and community interaction.

Street designs integrate unique site features such as irrigation ditches and tree windbreaks to preserve elements of ranching heritage while providing a robust multi-modal, year-round mobility network that supplements Jackson’s extensive pathway system.

In response to ongoing pandemic uncertainty, Opticos facilitated a hybrid engagement strategy that utilized interactive web features, video presentations, and in-person exhibits to provide multiple avenues for community members to get involved with the project.