Located at the foot of the San Gabriel mountains, the idyllic City of Upland has a main street, tight-knit community vibe – and a strong community interest in adding accessory dwelling units to single-family properties. In 2022 the City of Upland started working with Community Planning Collaborative to develop a new suite of resources helping homeowners understand the benefits of ADUs and the building process, making them a leader among small cities in Southern California.

The centerpiece of these resources is a step-by-step Guidebook and worksheets designed for accessibility and inspiration. Alongside an ADU website, informational handouts, and heartfelt community ADU case studies, Upland’s ADU Guidebook provides an overview of the ADU development process from start to finish. Community Planning Collaborative worked closely with Upland city staff to identify resources available for homeowners from the beginning planning stages, through construction and finding a tenant. We also developed an ADU cost calculator that provides interested homeowners with estimates of both costs and return on investment, and used real Upland ADU projects to provide realistic expectations of permitting fees.

Outreach was a key part of our work with City of Upland. We developed three ADU Spotlight Stories highlighting how ADUs can meet the unique needs of Upland’s growing community, and lead two ADU workshops for community members. These workshops were provided both in-person and online and included experts and local ADU owners as partners in sharing information on ADUs in Upland. Through close partnership with city staff, these outreach events reached more than 100 community members.