Simplify Design Standards
What happened to starter homes?
In a market of big homes on large lots with high prices, we need to bring back smaller homes on smaller lots—homes that actually meet a first-time homebuyer’s price point. Unfortunately, starter homes have become all but impossible to build.
How to Start
Step 01: Convert subjective design standards into objective ones so they are clear and measurable for developers, and administrable by city staff.
Map every point where housing projects trigger discretionary approval by a planning commission, council, or design board. Rewrite those requirements to remove the extra layer of approval—for example, replace “compatible with neighborhood character” with specific form standards for height, setbacks, and materials.
Check out the Objective Design Standards Handbook from the Bay Area Association of Governments to get started.
Why is this solution vital?
95%
Increase in average monthly mortgage on a median priced home from 2020–2025.
* Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University (2026). The State of the Nation’s Housing.
Potential homebuyers are increasingly priced-out of the market, with the average monthly mortgage on a median priced home increasing by more than 95% between 2020–2025.*
A big reason for the starter home market void? Stringent design standards add extra time and compliance confusion to the development process, limiting opportunities to build entry-level homes on the most productive use of land.
SOLUTION IN ACTION
How pre-approved plans sparked a housing revival in South Bend, IN
“We realized early on that no one was coming to save us. The community would have to do this itself.”
–Tim Corcoran, Director of Planning & Community Resources, South Bend, IN
South Bend cataloged hundreds of routine zoning variances, and invested in mapping the financial productivity of its land. The result was a data-backed case for middle-density housing: walkable, human-scaled, financially productive infill—leading the way for a set of pre-approved plans, “Build South Bend.”
Read more to learn about South-Bend’s builder-friendly reforms which are chipping away at the affordability barrier.
Lessons Learned from Other Cities
What strategies can you use in your community to recreate South Bend’s success?
Own the Plans
Make them free and flexible. Control of intellectual property matters.
Fix the Process, Not Just the Product
Developing the plans revealed bottlenecks in permitting and water line standards as well as interdepartmental misalignments. Fixing those benefits all new construction.
Start Small, Build Trust
South Bend didn’t try to change everything overnight. “Incrementalism is a feature, not a bug,” Corcoran said.
Use the Math
Financial productivity mapping helped build support across political and ideological lines, not just procedurally. Cities should build narratives that frame permitting reform as a community benefit.
Design for the Neighborhood
The right design lowers neighborhood resistance and accelerates community buy-in.
INNOVATOR IN ACTION
Partnering with Incremental Development Alliance can help streamline the adoption of this Solution.
Incremental Development Alliance (IncDev) trains small-scale developers and civic leaders to take on small, practical development projects in their communities (think: duplexes, main street buildings, and rehabs) and supports communities to make that work easier.
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Small Development Stress Tests help cities find and remove zoning and design barriers
Workshops + Boot Camps teach small developers to navigate design review and pro formas
Civic leader coaching builds the case for supportive, simplified regulation
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10k+ developers trained across
35+ states and 2 Canadian provinces
~50% of participants are women and developers of color
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Headquartered in Fayetteville, AR, with faculty and alumni-driven work in South Bend, IN; Memphis, TN; Atlanta, GA; Detroit, MI; Portland, OR; Kalamazoo, MI; Chattanooga, TN; and cities nationwide.
