It’s called the “missing middle” housing problem.
In much of metro Atlanta, neighborhoods have one kind of housing: single-family homes. What’s missing is the mix of housing types often found in older communities – think duplexes, four-plexes, carriage houses, courtyard apartments, and the like.
A wide variety of housing – at a range of price-points – means people at different stages of life might call the same neighborhood home. And greater housing density can better support transit and encourage the development of walkable commercial districts.
Atlanta developer Eric Kronberg is acutely aware of the problem and has responded with a new development in Atlanta’s Edgewood neighborhood.
La France Walk successfully addresses metro Atlanta’s “missing middle” housing challenge by offering options that go beyond high-rise apartments or single-family houses. The development will include four duplexes and six efficiency apartment units alongside 10 single-family houses, creating living spaces that accommodate different ages, incomes, and phases of life.
In addition, several of the single-family houses include attached live/work studio spaces that homeowners can use themselves or rent out as workspaces or apartments — creating yet another housing option.
Check out this video featuring La France Walk.
Kronberg-Wall Architects’ design emphasizes connectivity and walkability in a variety of ways. Each house in La France Walk engages the street, with minimal setbacks, spacious front porches, and broad sidewalks. And none of the houses includes a traditional two-car garage.
In 2018, La France Walk won the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Development of Excellence Award, which recognizes places that exemplify cutting-edge, livable design. It’s the third such award that Kronberg-Wall architects has received in as many years.
What’s Next ATL, produced by the Atlanta Regional Commission, is a community resource that explores how metro Atlanta is growing and changing, and how the region is addressing its most pressing challenges.
