In today’s political and economic climate, providing more affordable housing often means building at higher densities and incorporating a broader mix of resident incomes and generations, resulting in more financially feasible projects. In facing NIMBYism, architects design the massing, layout, and façade of such housing to be more accepting of the higher economic context of the neighborhood. But when asked how design can enhance the economic and social performance of affordable housing, architects may resort to hunches or dated generalizations. As Mark Twain suggests, relying on the certainty of our anecdotes may come back to haunt us and the residents for whom we build.

As the conference conveners maintain: “Affordable housing design practice (with notable exceptions) has changed very little and has not kept up with advancements in building technologies, materials science, environmental design research, and other factors which affect affordable housing. Architects do not have access to reliable information about successful models and approaches to affordable housing and strategies for comprehensive approaches to community design and there are limited ways for experienced practitioners to share their methodologies and hard-won experiences in the field. Those charged with managing funding, policy, or development have even less access to
information on design.”