Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Front porches, builders, banks

[Frank Boosman (frank.boosman]

Architects *are* designing homes with porches and livable communities in
which to place them, and builders *are* building them. Unfortunately, it's
a nascent movement at best, but it's a start.

This weekend I visited Southern Village, a "neo-traditional" development
just south of Chapel Hill, NC. It's a 300-some acre development in the
second year of a 10-year plan; only the first few families have moved in.
The developer's idea was to look at successful neighborhoods in North
Carolina (and elsewhere, for that matter) and synthesize their common
elements into a new community. After research, they felt that the most
successful neighborhoods in this area were created between 1890 and 1920.
Some examples of features culled from this research include:

- All homes have porches, in most cases right next to the sidewalk
- Large (2-acre) parks serve as foci within the development
- Pocket parks are scattered throughout for play and leisure
- No garages face streets; all homes back up on alleys
- Streets go up hills instead of around them
- Since streets go up hills, homes are always above street level
- Stone retaining walls are used instead of steep slopes in yards and parks

The core of the development will be a retail center with a grocery store,
hardware store, movie theater and other businesses, all with a strong
pedestrian focus. Because of the small size of the development, this will
be within walking distance for all residents. Office space will be
available in this center, so with luck, many residents will be able to work
in their own community. An elementary school will be located within the
development, and a middle school is within walking distance along a
forested path (no large street or highway crossings).

I was very impressed with Southern Village. Unfortunately, it would
represent a 30-35 minute commute for me, compared to my current five-minute
jaunt. Also, I'd have to move my kids out of the magnet school they're in
now, and we just moved to be close to it.

Developments like Southern Village aren't cohousing, but perhaps they can
provide some of the benefits of cohousing without the intense commitment.
This could make them appealing to a broad range of people.

Now if they'd just build a development like it near me...

-- Frank

   Frank Boosman    |     Cary, NC USA      | frank.boosman [at] virtus.com
 Virtus Corporation | http://www.virtus.com |     919 467-9700 x18