More duplexes, triplexes, cottage clusters, and townhomes will be appearing in our established neighborhoods as Oregon's middle housing reforms take effect. A single house may be replaced by a duplex. A large lot may become a cluster of cottages. Townhomes will be built where one home once stood. These changes are part of Oregon's middle housing reforms, intended to address the state's housing shortage by allowing more homes in neighborhoods that were once reserved primarily

Cracked sidewalks and street trees often get framed as a simple nuisance, but the real issue goes deeper—all the way to the roots. This article explores how tree roots damage pavement, the hidden costs cities face when they respond only after damage appears, and why removing mature trees can be an even more expensive mistake. If sidewalks and urban forests are both essential infrastructure, how do cities help them coexist?