2025 Theses Master's

Modeling Margins: Disability-led Housing as Planning Precedent

McCloy, Olivia

The intersection of housing, disability justice, and comprehensive neighborhood planning is a critical yet underexplored area in urban planning. This thesis argues that for adults with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD), housing and care are inseparable infrastructures and that separating them in planning and policy perpetuates exclusion. Focusing on a site in Cincinnati’s Westwood neighborhood, this research explores how integrating inclusive housing and community-based care into local planning frameworks can promote long-term individual stability and communal interdependence. Through spatial analysis, comparative case studies, and policy critique, the thesis identifies the structural barriers that prevent IDD-inclusive development and proposes concrete planning recommendations.

Using a comparative case study approach, this thesis analyzes three housing models that center developmental dis/ability and intergenerational living: Cass Housing (Fort Wayne, IN), Noah Homes (San Diego, CA), and Cathedral Park Cohousing (Portland, OR). These cases are examined through qualitative methods, including policy analysis and stakeholder interviews, alongside spatial analysis using GIS to assess the built environments of each city. Subsequently, this analysis informs recommendations for Westwood and the broader Cincinnati context, framed through critical urban theory, spatial justice, and dis/ability justice to examine how neoliberal planning structures shape the current housing crisis for IDD populations.

Findings indicate that three case study housing organizations all lack comprehensive planning input awareness in their counties and cities. Additionally, zoning classes and land uses do not align with the little engagement efforts these plans presented to the community. This research culminates in planning recommendations for Westwood’s comprehensive plan, a policy framework for disability-inclusive housing, and an outreach guide for planners engaging with IDD residents. By embedding disability justice theory into urban planning, this thesis argues for a fundamental shift toward equity, interdependence, and truly inclusive urban development.