People Behind the Plans: Dan Parolek

The idea of increasing density in a neighborhood is frequently an
off-putting concept for residents, but Dan Parolek has a
solution: the "missing middle." He coined the term in 2010 to
identify a range of housing types that provide more dwelling
units than a single-family home but fewer than a midrise
apartment building. These missing middle housing types—duplexes,
fourplexes, cottage courts, and more—increase density while still
keeping with the scale and character of a neighborhood. His firm,
Opticos Design, helps communities implement form-based coding to
allow for these structures.


Dan shares the firm's ideas and work with host Courtney Kashima,
AICP, including a project in South Bend, Indiana, that tackles
the issue of one neighborhood's 500 vacant lots and how to build
on them. He stresses the need for a foundation of physical design
within planning—without turning planners into designers. Courtney
and Dan also explore his career path: He started as an architect
but quickly realized he wanted to earn a graduate degree in urban
design. After being told by several firms that he needed to
choose one discipline or the other, he founded Opticos—a creative
maneuver that allowed him the freedom to work on his dual
passions.