Houses can touch each other!

Yesterday, April 22, City Council voted unanimously to enact Ordinance 59  which allows, by right, the construction of attached housing on all residential lots in Pittsburgh 35 feet wide or less, and by special exception attached housing on all residential lots in Pittsburgh wider than 35 feet.

We thank Councilman Bobby Wilson for his leadership on this matter, and Fineview Citizens Council and City of Bridges Community Land Trust for helping to make this reform happen.

Pro-Housing Pittsburgh has remained strongly in favor of this reform.

A map of the affected parcels. Purple can now build attached housing by right, green by exemption.

Last year, we highlighted the absurdity of banning attached housing, especially in Pittsburgh which is filled with neighborhoods where they have historically been allowed and extremely prevalent. Our You Can’t Build That Here post on 21 Lanark St addressed the specific circumstances that prompted this legislation.

In March, we hosted Arbitrary Lines author M.  Nolan Gray who promoted this and other zoning reforms. At the invitation of Councilman Bob Charland, he spoke before City Council and with members of City Council individually.  Along with University of Pittsburgh College Democrats and Carnegie Mellon University College Democrats, we invited Nolan to speak at Carnegie Mellon as well.

Members of Pro-Housing Pittsburgh and the wider Pittsburgh community spoke to City Council, both in January when the bill was initially proposed, and again two weeks ago, when the bill was having its public final hearing.

Supporting Ordinance 59 when it was announced in January.

Supporting Ordinance 59 on April 10.

Yesterday’s reform is an important first step in the pro-housing reforms our city desperately needs to solve our housing crisis.  As we repeatedly highlight in our You Can’t Build That Here series, Pittsburgh’s zoning code is broken.

We must now push on to enact further reforms, like eliminating parking minimums, eliminating minimum lot sizes, and switching our property tax system to a Land Value Tax.

By Jack Billings with contributions by Chris Beam, Amy Zaiss, Nick Rizzio, and David Vatz.