The Georgia Housing Workshop

September 30 // 12 PM - 4 PM // Virtual EVEnt

Sponsored by KIA Georgia, Inc and hosted by the Georgia Conservancy and Georgia Power, the Georgia Housing Workshop garnered 200-plus registrants and brought together attendees from public, private, and non-profit sectors around the issues of housing and economic development. More than 75 communities across Georgia were represented. We are proud to have advanced the conversation on housing in Georgia in service of our state’s communities and its residents.

Thank you to Opticos Design’s Tony Perez who shared with participants the foundations and principles of missing middle housing and how this approach to our housing crisis can boost local housing options and boost the local economy. We would also like to extend our gradiude to Eric Kronberg and Elizabeth Ward of Kronberg Urbanists + Architects for their insights on local housing issues, and to our speakers from Hartwell, Donalsonville, Gainesville, Madison, Woodbury & Spalding County, and Clarkesville.

Tony Perez OF OPTICOS DESIGN

With 33 years of experience—12 as a public sector planner and the past 21 as a consulting professional writing Form-Based Codes—Tony Perez translates policy direction into clear and implementable development standards that deliver walkable places.

Tony learned the craft of preparing Form-Based Codes while working on a variety of projects with Stefanos Polyzoides, Paul Crawford, Alan Loomis, and David Sargent—and over the past eight years with Dan Parolek, Karen Parolek, Stefan Pellegrini, and John Miki. Tony is fluent in the language of urban design and architecture, enabling him to extract maximum information and direction out of a vision and from designers and stakeholders.

A leader in advancing the practice of Form-Based Coding, Tony has been on the Driehaus Award Jury and is a board member of the Form-Based Codes Institute. As an FBCI instructor, Tony enjoys working with public sector planners across the U.S. to train them in using and explaining Form-Based Codes. Tony teaches Form-Based Planning and Zoning at Cal Poly Pomona University. Tony is from the California Delta town of Isleton and lives with his family in Camarillo, CA.

What is Missing Middle Housing?

Missing Middle is a range of multi-unit or clustered housing types compatible in scale with single-family homes that help meet the growing demand for walkable urban living. These types provide diverse housing options along a spectrum of affordability, including duplexes, fourplexes, and bungalow courts, to support walkable communities, locally-serving retail, and public transportation options. Missing Middle Housing provides a solution to the mismatch between the available U.S. housing stock and shifting demographics combined with the growing demand for walkability. Learn more about Missing Middle Housing.

Purchase Missing Middle Housing Thinking Big and Building Small to Respond to Today’s Housing Crisis by Dan Parolek, founder of Opticos Design.

GEORGIA HOUSING WORKSHOP PRESENTATIONS

Why Housing Matters to Georgia from Georgia Conservancy
Georgia’s Housing Challenge from Georgia Conservancy

Local perspectives from the communities of:
Clarkesville
Donalsonville
Gainesville
Hartwell
Madison
Woodbury and Spalding County