[Insider 37] Cities are living things.
notes on the 'missing middle' in urban housing.
Dear Insider,
(and hello to all readers getting a sneak peek!)
This post shares an important new influence in the making of my next book, SneakyArt of Vancouver.
I have written previously about self-publishing my first book - SneakyArt of Eau Claire. I explained why I found it a rewarding process despite all the extra work involved. In fact, the extra responsibilities around designing, marketing, distributing, and selling the book would turn into valuable learning opportunities. SneakyArt of Eau Claire (limited signed copies on sale) went on to win 2 independent publishing awards in 2020.
On the SneakyArt Podcast too, I have discussed making books in Ep 17 with Roisin Cure, Ep 20 with Danny Gregory, the Post-Script to Ep 27 with Tomas Pajdlhauser, and the Post-Script to Ep 28 with Koosje Koene.
I do not yet know how big I want the new book to be - either in terms of pages or the number of copies. But I know I want to make it. With SneakyArt Insiders, an important goal of the 2022 journey is figuring out the best way to make the book.
Dear Insider, do you think I should do a Kickstarter campaign? Or should I look for a publisher?
This month I have been reading a wonderful book by Roman Mars (and Kurt Kohlstedt) of the 99% Invisible podcast.
Long-time readers know that I am curious about cities and how people live in them. I am curious about the way people interact with urban amenities and facilities to create private worlds inside public spaces.
At a macroscopic level, I see the city itself as a living thing - growing, evolving, transforming.
Good design, as they say, is 99% invisible. The book (like the podcast) is about the invisible design embedded in our urban ecosystem, affecting our lives in hundreds of unseen ways. Over the next few weeks, I will use this wonderful resource to better understand my urban environment.
The end goal — as you might be aware 🙃 — is my next book of SneakyArt, featuring this unique part of the world known as Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada.
In today’s Insider post, I want to share some notes taken in my residential Vancouver neighbourhood after listening to the latest episode of the 99pi podcast, Ep 491 - The Missing Middle.
Watch also this excellent video:
🏠 What is the “Missing Middle”?
“Missing middle” refers to a void in urban housing created by antiquated, and often explicitly racist, zoning regulations.
It is a chronic problem of cities like Toronto, Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver.
Urban housing options are reduced to tiny condos flung high up in the sky…
… and detached single-family homes, with almost nothing in between.
To be clear, the “missing middle” does not refer to middle-income housing, but simply to a type of construction - low-rising buildings of 2 to 6 floors.
The episode describes the mixed success of efforts to reform zoning regulations that prevent new construction in certain neighbourhoods. It caught my attention because this year we have moved from a skyscraper downtown to a 5-floor residential building in a quieter part of the city.
Dear Insider, is there a housing crisis in your part of the world? What are its particular features?
Below, some notes and observations from walking around my residential neighbourhood with a sketchbook and acrylic marker.