This proposal investigates how community-driven maker activities and digital fabrication techniques can be woven into the adaptive reuse of postindustrial sites across West Texas. Through situated case studies around the former Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, Texas, particularly the transformation of the base into a technology center now operating as Reese Technology Center, the inquiry considers how embedded workshops and participatory design labs invigorate underused infrastructure, promoting both economic growth and cultural resilience. Utilizing a mixed-methods strategy that pairs archival review of redevelopment records with semi-structured interviews of local partners, participatory mapping sessions, and field observations of active fabrication labs, the study will produce a Tech-Enabled Reuse Toolkit. This resource will distill step-by-step fabrication workflows, community engagement protocols, and policy guidance crafted for mid-sized postindustrial regions eager to replicate Reese’s model. The core research questions are as follows: In what ways do tech-supported maker labs strengthen neighborhood skills while reimagining local industrial legacies? What tangible impact do these labs have on diversifying the economy and energizing cultural life? How might the lessons learned at this scale shape city planning codes and architecture courses nationwide? By connecting these local efforts to the worldwide discussion on urban resilience, the proposal suggests that innovations specific to a place can create solutions for reducing economic downturns, environmental dangers, and the fading of industrial history on a larger scale that can be applied elsewhere.

Middle Housing regulations have a great potential to increase housing production to address Oregon’s anticipated shortfall of 29,522 dwellings. Medium-density forms, such as Townhouse and Cottage Cluster, are now allowed in formerly low-density zones. The aim of this study was to understand how this recent legislation is translated to design and development standards, and how those standards influence feasibility and production. We analyzed the development and design standards for two Oregon cities, Eugene and Bend; contextualized these findings through the analysis of interviews with planning officials and from each city; and created analytical drawings from those standards to assess potential housing production. The results indicate that while there is no individual design and development standards that cause impediments to production, the application of the standards in infill lots creates challenges for cottage clusters and townhome production. This research closed the visualization gap between regulation and implementation by leveraging an interdisciplinary collaboration between architecture and planning. This analysis of Oregon’s specific Middle Housing reform, unique to the state and hyper-localized by each of its cities, provides a model for other regions experiencing the two crises of housing deficits and scarce developable land.

Housing shortages in small American cities demand place-specific solutions that honor local building traditions while addressing contemporary needs. This paper presents the Alley House Program in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania as a model of collaborative, technology-enabled housing research that revives historic secondary housing units to expand affordable supply. Through participatory processes, such as oral histories, citywide surveys, and design workshops, the Program documented over 7,000 potential development sites and engaged residents in visioning new construction. An interactive web-based guide translates this knowledge into an accessible tool enabling homeowners and civic leaders to explore site-specific development possibilities through a structured decision tree and site-tailored design templates. The Program demonstrates how "technologies of consensus,” both participatory processes and digital tools, can democratize housing knowledge, build community support, and unlock infill capacity within the existing urban fabric. This approach offers a replicable framework for small cities confronting housing crises with limited resources, demonstrating how place-based strategies grounded in local spatial conditions can generate scalable, adaptable responses.