The Power of Framing: How planners crafted and championed College Station’s newly adopted MH Middle Housing zoning district

Understand the concept of framing and its impact on policy development.
Discuss the importance of framing and telling the planning story.
Analyze the framing strategies used by planners to create the MH Middle Housing zoning district.

Framing is a powerful tool in policy development, but it can be challenging to use effectively. In this session, we will analyze the framing strategies used by the College Station planners to support and champion the creation of the MH Middle Housing zoning district. We will discuss the intentional framing and public engagement process that staff designed and implemented to build consensus between local residents, the development community, and appointed and elected officials.

Attendees will learn about the importance of framing in planning and how it can be used to shift the conversation around key issues. We will discuss the framing strategies planners developed to gain support for the MH Middle Housing zoning district, including how they reframed the conversation around housing affordability and options.

Additionally, we will review the final district standards for the MH Middle Housing zoning district and explore how middle housing addresses housing affordability and options. This will include a discussion of the massing standards, district character, and how it interacts with other zoning districts across the City.

We will conclude with a discussion of the lessons learned from the experience in College Station and how they can be applied to other municipalities. Attendees will come away with a deeper understanding of the power of framing, the benefits of middle housing, and how they can use framing within their planning practice to promote positive change in their communities.