Minneapolis ends single-family-only zoning (2018)
Minneapolis adopted its 2040 plan, becoming the first major U.S. city to allow up to three dwelling units on any residential lot, ending single-family-only zoning citywide.
The change went into effect in 2020, with the city reporting modest increases in duplex and triplex permits.
It became a reference point for the national missing-middle housing movement pushing density into single-family neighborhoods.
The 501 East Howell request is a case-by-case version of the same policy debate: whether single-family zones can absorb additional dwelling units. Alexandria is deciding one lot at a time rather than changing the zoning outright.
