Akron is weighing changes to lot size rules to allow homes on smaller parcels and reduce driveway width, with the aim of increasing housing supply and density.

Analyses show about 2,000 parcels are too small for single-family homes under current rules, while more than 11,000 parcels could become buildable for single-family or multi-family homes if the proposal passes.

If the proposal clears the hurdle, the city could repurpose or sell city-owned parcels unsuitable for homes to developers, with examples near East End development and approximately 50 suitable lots identified.

The plan could allow smaller homes, including cottages around 1,120 square feet on 30-foot lots, though it does not mandate targeted tiny-home communities, and overall size isn’t fixed so long as essential requirements, like a bedroom, are met.

If approved, development could begin immediately on smaller lots, subject to permits and other zoning, but duplexes would not be automatically permitted everywhere due to existing zoning districts.

Post-change benefits may include better utilization of existing city services and infrastructure, potentially reducing expansion costs by developing roughly 500 acres of land.

Residents could acquire lots through city programs such as Welcome Home Akron or Mow to Own, or via the Summit County Land Bank, depending on availability.

Zoning and historic rules on multi-unit properties still affect density; two neighborhoods, Summit Lake and Merriman Valley, have different unit-per-building rules that could enable more small homes on larger parcels.

Under current rules, a house requires a 4,000-square-foot lot and duplexes need minimums of 7,000 square feet and 60 feet width; the proposal removes the house’s minimum lot size and reduces driveway width to nine feet.

A central goal is to increase housing options and attract residents by offering more, including smaller homes, in Akron’s established neighborhoods.