New Homes Each Year
The city is building fewer than half the housing units it needs annually.
Overland Park Is Rewriting Its Zoning Code
The city is consolidating 33 zoning districts into 11. The decisions made now will shape housing options, affordability, and neighborhood life for a generation.
Homes a Working Family Can Afford
1home since 2021
Only one home has been built at the price point needed by the average workforce family.
Homes for Sale
0.6%vacant
0%Healthy: 5%
Owner-occupied vacancy is a fraction of the 5% a healthy market needs.
Households That Rent
~40%
About 4 in 10 Overland Park households rent, and zoning rules fall hardest on them.
The City's Own Data Makes the Case
The January 2026 Housing Needs Assessment, presented by city staff, establishes the factual foundation:
FrameworkOP's Housing Goal calls for "vibrant neighborhoods with a variety of housing types that offer attractive, attainable, and safe housing options." The Housing Needs Assessment numbers above show the city is not on track to meet that goal.
See the data →The Market Study Says One Thing, the Code Draft Says Another
The city's own market study names parking costs as a barrier to walkable development, yet the code outline would carry today's parking rules forward.
Read our analysis →Where the New Districts Help
Fewer, simpler districts, a first step toward duplexes, cottages, and townhomes in today's single-family neighborhoods, and room for tired shopping centers to become mixed-use.
Read our analysis →Where the Critical Details Are Missing
Childcare, what "supported" really means, and how much staff can approve on their own are still open, and each one decides whether the new rules get used.
Read our analysis →What This Means for Renters
Protecting older apartments, ending the four-unrelated-people cap, and tying zoning to rental quality matter most to the people who rent here.
Read our analysis →The State Legislature Adds Urgency
SB 391 would bar cities from requiring landlords to accept housing vouchers, which makes the local zoning code even more important.
Read our analysis →Our Proposal
Our proposal is organized around three key areas that align the UDO with the city's adopted vision, using objective, predictable standards.
Housing Variety
Permit duplexes, townhomes, and cottage courts by-right. Legalize ADUs citywide. Reduce minimum lot sizes to make starter homes and infill development feasible.
FrameworkOP: P-LU.5, A-H.5, A-H.6
Affordability
Eliminate parking minimums in walkable areas. Modernize occupancy rules to focus on health and safety, not an outdated definition of "family" that restricts how people live.
FrameworkOP: P-LU.4, A-LU.1.B, A-LU.1.C
Neighborhood Life
Allow small-scale, neighborhood-serving shops with design standards. Require new developments to include functional common spaces like plazas, courtyards, and pocket parks.
FrameworkOP: P-LU.9, A-QOL.2
What to Do Next
The UDO rewrite is happening right now, and the rules are changing.
- 1
Contact Your Council Members
Tell your council members you support eliminating parking minimums, allowing neighborhood commercial, and permitting duplexes by-right.
Find Your Council Members → - 2
Read Our Proposal
See what we're asking for, and ask the city how "supported" uses will actually be approved.
Read the Proposal →
Our Proposal Is a Public Resource
Our structured proposal is a public resource for the residents of Overland Park. It is grounded in the city's own adopted plans and supported by publicly available data. Have questions or want to share feedback? We'd like to hear from you.
UDO Rewrite Timeline
The city's UDO rewrite is a multi-phase process spanning from Winter 2024 through Fall/Winter 2026. Public hearings and workshops are key moments for resident input.
Sources & Research
City of Overland Park Adopted Plans
The city's adopted comprehensive plan. Key housing policies: P-LU.5 (Increase Housing Choices), P-H.1 (Variety of Housing Types), P-LU.9 (Complete Neighborhoods).
2026 Strategic Goals
Directs the city to evaluate options for incentivizing diverse and attainable housing, revise regulatory standards to encourage missing middle housing, and remove barriers to infill lots.
Overland Park Housing Data
OP needs ~1,420 units/yr through 2030; averaging <700 built; only 1 home at attainable price since 2021.
61.5% owner / 38.5% renter; 29,420 population increase by 2030; voucher waitlist ~500 families.
UDO Draft Documents (March 2026)
Data-driven demand projections through 2050 calling for parking reform and more homes per acre.
Guiding Principles + District Summaries
The only district with actual dimensional standards released, showing the new "tier" approach.
Market Study Alignment Memo
Portfolio Homes Pilot
Comparable City Reforms
Nearest Kansas precedent: missing middle in all residential zones, parking minimums eliminated. Effective April 2025.
Parking & Cost Research
Definitive suburban cost analysis: 1 space = +12.5% dev cost; suburban land adds ~$8K/space.
Kansas City-specific analysis: mixed-use yields 10x the tax revenue per acre vs. auto-oriented development.
Legal & Policy
Passed Senate 31-7. Would block cities from requiring landlords to accept housing vouchers.
Proposal Expanded Summary
Unified Development Ordinance Reform • Full text available via link below
A Plan for Action
Overland Park's vision is already clear: to be a city of vibrant, walkable neighborhoods with a rich variety of housing options. FrameworkOP, the city's adopted comprehensive plan, established that goal: "vibrant neighborhoods with a variety of housing types that offer attractive, attainable, and safe housing options." This proposal is a straightforward plan to execute that vision by aligning the UDO with adopted goals using objective, predictable standards.
Our recommendations focus on three key areas:
- Expand Housing Variety & Attainability. Allow a wider range of housing choices such as duplexes, townhomes, and small backyard cottages that fit the character of our neighborhoods.
- Remove Systemic Barriers to Affordability. Update parking requirements and modernize occupancy rules to focus on health and safety.
- Activate Neighborhoods with Local Businesses & Common Spaces. Allow for small-scale, neighborhood-serving shops with design standards that enhance the area.
Section 1
Expand Housing Variety & Attainability
Permit "Missing Middle" Housing By-Right
Amend the UDO to allow duplexes, townhomes, and cottage courts as permitted uses in R-1 and R-1A districts, guided by context-sensitive form and frontage standards.
Authority: FrameworkOP P-LU.5 (Increase Housing Choices) calls for "a variety of housing types, including 'missing middle' housing." P-LU.9 (Encourage Development of Complete Neighborhoods) calls for communities with everyday services within walking distance. A-H.5 directs the city to "revise the regulations to make it easier to build these housing types." A-H.6 directs the city to remove barriers to infill lots.
Legalize Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) Citywide
Permit one attached or detached ADU by-right on any lot with a single-family home. Standards should be objective and administrative.
Reduce Minimum Lot Sizes & Widths
Lower minimum lot area and width requirements in R-1 and R-1A zones, making starter homes and infill development more feasible.
Section 2
Remove Systemic Barriers to Affordability
Reform Parking Mandates
Eliminate parking minimums in designated Strategic Investment Areas. Elsewhere, reduce minimums and allow alternatives like on-street spaces or shared parking agreements.
Authority: P-LU.4 (Foster Sustainable and Resilient Developments) calls for development that will "prioritize pedestrians." P-LU.7 (Prioritize Pedestrian-Scale Design) reinforces this. A-LU.1.B directs the city to update parking standards.
Modernize "Family" Definition
Remove the arbitrary cap of four unrelated persons. Occupancy should be regulated by building and safety codes based on square footage, bedrooms, and egress.
Authority: Supports housing affordability and
choice for all
household types. A-LU.1.C directs the city to "remove regulatory barriers that impede the development of a diversity of housing types and price points."
Section 3
Activate Neighborhoods with Local Businesses & Common Spaces
Allow for Corner Stores and Neighborhood Businesses
Create a Neighborhood Commercial (NC-1) use or overlay that allows for small-scale, neighborhood-serving retail on corners or at mapped nodes. Require pedestrian-friendly design.
Require Meaningful Common Spaces
Require new multi-family and planned developments to include functional, publicly accessible common areas. Establish objective design standards requiring features like seating, lighting, and direct sidewalk connections.
A Framework for Success
To ensure these reforms are successful and accountable, we recommend piloting them in the city's Strategic Investment Areas. Progress can be tracked on a public dashboard, monitoring key metrics like:
- Number of small-scale housing units (duplex, ADU, cottage court) permitted and completed annually
- Median price of new-build, small-format homes to ensure entry price points are reduced
- Distribution of approvals within Strategic Investment Areas
- Parking cost trends per unit in new developments
- Percentage of residents within a 5-10 minute walk of daily-needs retail or a public gathering space
Questions & Answers
Common Questions
Will Different Housing Types Change My Neighborhood's Character?
Our neighborhoods' character comes from the people who live there. By allowing a wider variety of housing, we make it possible for seniors to downsize and stay, for young families to find a starter home, and for teachers and nurses to live where they work.
Won't Reducing Parking Create a Nightmare?
This reform allows property owners to build the amount of parking that is actually needed, rather than an arbitrary minimum. It provides flexibility, it does not ban parking. This leads to better use of land and can lower costs for everyone.
Are We Losing Our Voice by Allowing More Development "By-Right"?
Not at all. "By-right" means that if a proposal meets all the required, pre-approved design and safety standards, it can move forward without a lengthy hearing. Larger, more complex projects still require the same level of public review.
This is an expanded summary. The full document contains additional detail and specific code references.
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