Lawrence is launching a three-year pilot that will give builders a library of house plans the city has already reviewed and signed off on, and it wants local builders to help pick them (via City of Lawrence). The first chance to weigh in is a virtual focus group from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 9.
The city is working with Pattern Zones, which developed the program, including the construction plans, a web platform and the processes for running it. Architectural work is being handled by MBL Planning, which the city describes as licensed to practice architecture in Kansas.
Here's how it's supposed to work. The web platform ties each plan to local zoning and parcel data, so a property owner or builder can check whether a given plan is eligible for a specific lot. If it is, they download the plan and move into a streamlined permitting process. Because city staff review and approve the plans up front, the builder doesn't start plan review from scratch on every project.
The city's pitch is lower architectural and design costs, faster permits and better odds for small and infill projects to pencil out. The focus is on middle housing, which the city calls a lower-cost alternative to traditional single-family homes. "The goal of the program is simple: to make it easier, faster, and less expensive to build housing in Lawrence," the city said in its Nov. 10 announcement.
The city hasn't said yet which building types will be in the library or how many plans it will hold. That's what the input process is for. According to the city's project page, Pattern Zones will start with neighborhood tours and research into Lawrence's existing housing stock and lot conditions. The city and Pattern Zones will then review candidate plans with local builders and residents before adapting them.
Two builder focus groups are planned. The first will look at shortlisted plans for constructability and market fit. The second will review near-final plans and the program itself. The city says it wants feedback on which plans suit Lawrence's neighborhoods, housing needs, lot conditions and development patterns.
The Dec. 9 session is on Zoom and open to local builders, developers and interested residents. Advance registration is required through the Pattern Zones registration page linked from the city's announcement. Questions can go to Lea Roselyn, the city's affordable housing administrator.
After three years, city staff will evaluate the pilot and decide whether to keep it, end it, change it or expand it.
The pilot lands on top of a housing study that put hard numbers on the shortfall. In June, consultant Development Strategies told city commissioners that Lawrence needs 6,315 more housing units over the next 10 years, about 2,920 for sale and 3,395 rentals, The Lawrence Times reported. Principal Justin Carney said permitting has declined since 2020, and that if the trend continues, the city won't keep up with demand.
Lawrence isn't the first city in the region to try this. Overland Park launched its Portfolio Homes program in November 2025 with 25 plans, including cottages, small single-family homes, duplexes and a detached garage, according to the Mid-America Regional Council, which named Pattern Zones as a consultant on that effort. MARC noted that plans still have to fit existing zoning and site conditions. A single-family lot, for example, needs rezoning before a duplex plan can be used, and site surveys and structural engineering still apply.
Why it matters for Contractors
For a small builder doing infill or a couple of spec houses a year, the cost and wait of custom plans and plan review can be the difference between a lot that works and one that doesn't. A library of plans the city has already cleared could take a real piece of that off the table, if the plans fit what actually sells and builds well in Lawrence.
That's why the focus groups matter. Builders who show up can push for plans that make sense on the lots they actually see, with framing, foundations and finishes local crews can price and build without surprises. If you build in Lawrence, it's an hour on Zoom to help shape a tool you may be using for the next three years. Just keep in mind that a pre-approved plan doesn't replace zoning, site work or engineering, so your usual due diligence still applies.