GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS

Accessory dwelling unit (ADU): Smaller home on the same property as a main house, such as a backyard cottage, garage apartment, or “granny flat”.

Blocks: A group of lots surrounded by streets, forming one section of a neighborhood or area within a larger street grid.

Built environment: Everything people have built, including, but not limited to, homes, streets, parks, and infrastructure.

Employment center: An area where many jobs are located, such as an office district or industrial park.

Incremental development: Small changes or additions over time rather than large single projects.

Infill development: Building on vacant or underused land within already developed areas.

Land use: How land is used for housing, businesses, industry, parks and open space, or other purposes.
Lots: A portion of land that can be developed or sold separately, often created through subdivision and shown on a map or plat.

Missing middle housing: A variety of housing options – from single-family homes to small-scale buildings such as townhouses and fourplexes – that are often limited in many neighborhoods due to zoning rules that prioritize single-family housing, even in areas that historically included a mix of housing types.

Mixed-use: Combining housing, businesses, or other land uses in the same building or area.

Multi-unit: A residential building with five or more separate homes within the same structure, such as an apartment building.

Multiplex: A small residential building with multiple homes, typically 2-4 units, within a single structure, such as duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes.

Parcel: A specific piece of land with defined legal boundaries.

Pedestrian-oriented development: Places designed to be safe, comfortable, and convenient for people walking.

Site design: How buildings, parking, open space, and landscaping are laid out on a property.

Streetscape: The look and feel of a street, including sidewalks, trees, plantings, lighting, and connections to buildings.

Subdivision: Large areas of land divided into individual housing lots and streets. Subdivision can also mean the process by which the larger property is separated into lots and streets.

Transit-oriented development (TOD): Compact, walkable neighborhoods located near transit stops like bus or rail stations.

Zoning: Local rules that determine what can be built or which businesses are allowed to operate.

Zoning district: Areas on a zoning map with specific rules about land use and buildings.