KUA NEWSLETTER MAY 2026

Partners for Attainable Places
Partners for Vibrant Places
​​Partners for Lasting Places

We're Moving!

KUA is excited to announce the upcoming relocation of our offices to a larger space at 33 Georgia Ave. We designed this new building as part of the overall redevelopment for Carter several years ago, so this will be a rewarding move into a space we have a strong connection to. While we’re thrilled about the new digs, we expect a transition period as we adjust. But walking and biking to work will stay a core focus of KUA, and we’re already looking forward to the Little Tart Bakeshop location just a block away. See you there!

CURRENT KEY PROJECTS
CLIENT: Westside Future Fund

Westside Future Fund (WFF) is an Atlanta-based nonprofit working to ensure that those who live, work, and learn in the city’s historic Westside can stay and thrive in the community they love. Guided by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision of the Beloved Community, WFF leads holistic neighborhood restoration focused on housing, education, safety, and economic opportunity.

In support of WFF’s mission, KU+A provided high-density, mixed-use redevelopment, offering greater affordability rates for current and future Westside residents.

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Housing Mismatch

Over the years, we’ve crafted a housing inventory ranging from 250 SF studios to 12-unit missing middle plexes, with an eye towards promoting gentle density in communities constrained by restrictive zoning codes.

These units form the building blocks of better neighborhoods and underpin our efforts to engage community leaders, developers, and other design professionals in addressing the U.S. housing crisis.

THE CHALLENGES

The United States is suffering from a housing mismatch, attributable to both restrictive zoning codes and transformative demographic shifts. Many areas have an oversupply of large, single-family houses and an insufficient supply of other housing forms, such as smaller single-family homes or compact walk-up apartment buildings that fit into existing residential fabric.

Zoning rules influence the type of housing that gets built.

Today, more than 80% of American households are not traditional nuclear families (U.S. Census Bureau). Instead, households increasingly consist of those headed by single parents, couples without children, roommates, and individuals who live alone. 

Over time, homes have grown significantly larger. This trend is often attributed to builder greed, but the reality is more complicated. Builders respond to the regulatory environment that shapes the market. When zoning regulations allow only one house per lot, the financial incentive becomes clear: build the largest house possible.  Larger homes help cover the fixed cost of land and maximize the value of the single unit allowed.

This is what has led to the housing mismatch – housing that neither matches nor meets the needs of today’s households. 

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

"Housing costs are crazy. So are transportation costs. That’s why legalizing more housing next to transit is so important. Full stop." Eric Kronberg 

TRANSIT VS. MOBILITY

Transit versus mobility - what’s the difference?

Many cities have transit systems of various stripes. Legalizing more housing types near stops and stations is a crucial way to provide more people with meaningful transit access. It also provides more financial support for the transit system through increased ridership. 

But what happens when towns lack any form of public transit? In areas originally developed before 1929, walking was typically intended as a primary means of mobility. These are often the blocks directly adjacent to the main street. They feature sidewalks and street trees to facilitate coming and going on foot or on a bicycle. These neighborhoods frequently include on-street parking, providing more efficient vehicle storage. 

We call these areas Mobility Rich Places. They offer the chance for locals to make trips that do not require a car. For example, you can grab dinner with your family, have a drink with a friend, and ideally pick up a few essentials without being required to drive across town. 

Mobility Rich Places also benefit significantly from increased housing choices.  

OTHER TOPICS YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN

OUR 2026 HOUSING CHOICE CATALOG IS NOW AVAILABLE!
A TOOLKIT FOR DELIVERING FLOURISHING, ATTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

Housing Choice is an anchoring principle for KUA, overlapping the broader goals of our multidisciplinary practice. Accessible to development professionals and anyone interested in creating better communities, our new 2026 Housing Choice Catalog highlights our housing inventory, ranging from 250 SF studios to 12-unit missing middle plexes. This catalog is a cultivated inventory of tested, thoughtful housing designs that serve as building blocks to better neighborhoods. These housing infill options help to support our goal of creating vibrant, inclusive, and attainable neighborhoods by broadening the spectrum of housing choices for everyone.

UPCOMING TALKS

Rounding out the specialty programming at #CNU34 on Tuesday, The Congress for the New Urbanism is hosting a full day of workshopping for builders and real estate developers, folks we know play such a critical role in implementing walkable, vibrant communities!

During the congress, Eric will be speaking on the following panels:

AHA Action Hour: Why Housing Reform Matters