With recent master plans such as Minneapolis 2040 and even state governments reassessing the viability of single-family residential zones, the small-scale multifamily apartment building seems to be back on the menu in many cities across the nation. This is all well and good, but when did they fall out of favor in the first place? What factors led to the exclusion of these small, seemingly non-intrusive structures in our neighborhoods? The answer is more complicated than this brief article can touch on, but I’d like to share some observations made within the area of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Building Bonanza

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, construction of apartment units increased substantially in suburban areas, as members of the Baby boomer generation moved out of their parents’ places, and household formation rapidly increased during this period. This demographic shift occurred at a unique point in time, a period in which many zoning ordinances still had a degree of flexibility regarding the permitting of multifamily apartment buildings in residential zones. It would be during this period, however, that backlash from homeowners would prompt the revision of these ordinances, creating the rigid exclusionary framework that ultimately led to the proliferation of homogenous single-family zones in cities across the country.

An illustration of this trend can be found in west Michigan, as the regional population of Grand Rapids flocked to newly-incorporated suburbs such as Wyoming and Kentwood. Almost universal among all municipalities was the liberal use of the medium-density residential zoning district (R3) during this period, leading rise to the suburban four-unit apartment building. In all cities, these structures share the streets with single-family residences, their low-slung appearance mimicking the split-level ranch houses next door.