Accessory Dwelling Units are a form of residential infill housing that are poised to revolutionize housing in the United States. Unlike other urban development trends, this one is being driven by homeowners, not professional developers. Through case studies, expert interviews, firsthand anecdotes, images, and data analysis, Backdoor Revolution reveals the opportunities, challenges, and best practices of ADU development for homeowners, including costs, financing, design, zoning barriers, and regulatory loopholes. With sections written for policymakers and small housing advocates, Backdoor Revolution offers insightful analysis and a succinct prescription for solutions to municipal and institutional barriers for ADU development.
The author, Kol Peterson is an ADU expert based in Portland, Oregon, who has helped catalyze the exponential growth of ADUs in Portland over the last decade through ADU advocacy, education, consulting, policy work, and entrepreneurship. He is the owner of Caravan- The Tiny House Hotel, the first tiny house hotel in the world, and organizer of Portland's popular ADU Tour. He consults with homeowners about ADUs on their property, and teaches ADU classes for homeowners and for real estate agents. He edits and manages AccessoryDwellings.org, BuildinganADU.com, pdxadu.blogspot.com, and AccessoryDwellingStrategies.com.
Kol developed an ADU in 2011 that he lives in to this day with his wife. He has a masters degree in environmental planning from Harvard's Graduate School of Design. Prior to his ADU work, Kol worked in the federal government for ten years in Washington, DC and Portland, Oregon.