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During years of planning, engagement, refinement and adoption of their Urban Residential land use code, the City of Tacoma contended with a housing crisis, climate change and an urgent need to right the social inequities wrought by previous planning and financial policies. And, they needed to solve these crises for multiple stakeholders with different, passionate opinions. Critics of middle housing often draw a connection between increased urban density, the reduction of green spaces and trees, and a decline of neighborhood character, but this does not have to be the case. While investing in housing and communities during this watershed moment, the subtleties of integrating these elements matter.

Home in Tacoma is a comprehensive package of newly-adopted middle housing development standards, affordable housing regulatory tools, interactive zoning maps, form-based housing type design standards, landscaping and tree code, urban forest manual, EIS, right-of-way standards, utility standards, new citywide solid waste manual, public engagement and summary materials, and permitting tip sheets.

Join Mithun partner Heidi Oien for the panel presentation “Growing Together: Tacoma’s Middle Housing and Urban Forest” to learn how subtleties were decoded to offer opportunities for middle housing and urban forest to grow together. The moderated discussion will explore: feedback from community members, tree huggers, Master Builders, NIMBYs and city leaders; how equity mapping of trees and housing growth guided decision-making; how detailed site plan testing of all elements on a typical lot (buildings, parking, trees, open space, above- and below-grade utilities, solid waste storage/pick up, etc.) informed standards and design controls such as FAR, setbacks and tree canopy percentage; and how incentives and flexibility for retention of existing buildings and trees can achieve goals for housing everyone in a changing climate.

Heidi’s co-presenters include City of Tacoma planning division manager Brian Boudet and Pierce County program specialist Alyssa Torrez.

Date Posted: 10.09.2025