A city planner, a professor, and a designer will address the future of single-family housing in a panel discussion Wednesday, May 25, hosted by Dallas Architecture Forum.
“The housing market at the moment is nuts, but that’s not especially particular to Dallas,” said Kate Aoki, architect and head of exhibition design at the Dallas Museum of Art, who will moderate Wednesday’s discussion. “The economy is doing strange things which are affecting folks in different ways but at the end of the day, we want everyone to have access to housing that is safe, affordable, supported by the community, and that will lead to growth in equity for all, not just those who have historically been able to afford it. Whether that continues to be traditional single-family houses on individual lots is a big question mark.”
Guests can attend the 6:30 p.m. Zoom discussion by registering online.
The panel will look at issues impacting affordability, accessibility, design, and the role that the city of Dallas does and should play to achieve greater equity in housing.
One of the panelists for the event is the City of Dallas’ chief planner, Lawrence Agu III, who manages a newly-created team called the “Innovation Lab.” His team specializes in data analytics, policy research, and community storytelling through data. Agu also serves as the project manager for the ForwardDallas Comprehensive Land Use Plan.
Agu joins Julia Lindgren, a University of Texas at Arlington professor, and architect and designer Bang Dang on the discussion panel.
“My comments will be focused on [the city of Dallas’] comprehensive land-use policy, ForwardDallas, the work we’re doing to update it, and how our discussion topic is related to land use,” Agu said.
State of Single-Family Housing
The median size of a single-family home has grown by about 10 percent since 2009 and is showing no signs of slowing down, according to a recent survey conducted by the National Association of Home Builders.
But despite the larger houses, a question lingers as to whether multi-family units and rentals could rise in popularity for young families — especially as costs for starter homes are going up.
“D-FW is seeing a massive increase in population, which by some counts is projected to grow to almost 12 million by the year 2050. While Dallas has seen rapid development of multi-family and mixed-use projects in neighborhoods already zoned for them, we are also seeing these types of developments being built in zones previously designated as single-family lots,” the Dallas Architecture Forum shared in a press release for the event. “In a city that has fiercely protected its single-family culture, how will residential development address the balance between single-family and multi-family in equitable, sustainable, and meaningful ways? What is the future of the single-family typology, and how can we be a city that addresses the needs of the many while remaining economically healthy?”
Aoki said those questions will be addressed in Wednesday’s panel discussion, as the group discusses policies, design thinking, and initiatives surrounding housing in the shifting needs and demographics of Dallas.
“Each of the panelists has very specific expertise in housing, from a planner, to a designer, to a professor,” Aoki said. “We will be exploring together the current state of single-family housing in Dallas and how the city is beginning to think about its approach to land use and development, especially as it relates to density and community versus history.”
The Future Looks Bright?
Single-family construction permits are rising, according to the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University, and demand is strong, with a 5.2 percent increase in Dallas home sales in January.
Despite the promising stats, Aoki said it’s hard to say what the future will hold for single-family housing.
“I have no idea,” she said. “I know what I would like to see in the future, but it’s not up to me. I would love for all of us to start to move toward a shared vision, one that is not based on fear but on common understanding and knowledge. It’s my hope that discussions like this help more people educate themselves on the potential that cities possess, and how all of us can do our parts to tap into our resources to be good stewards of that potential.”
The panelists will take a deep dive in Wednesday’s discussion to tackle those topics, Aoki added.
“Each panelist has a specific area of expertise that will lend to a vibrant and thoughtful – and hopefully challenging – conversation,” she said. “I was born and raised in Dallas, and the city it is now is not anywhere close to the city it was, nor what it will be even five years from now. So many of us are looking for ways to drive change, to help each other, to make life better. ‘Better’ means something different to each person, and I’m excited to discuss what that means to our panelists.”
The Dallas Architecture Forum’s Zoom discussion on the future of single-family housing is free to attend and starts at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 25.
