Residential Design
Here in The Last Green Valley we have wonderful historic examples of neighborhoods and communities: homes built around a town green or common, or along stonewall lined roadways.
When our towns first adopted residential subdivision regulations (most over 30 years ago), the goal was to meet the American dream of homeownership. But by writing regulation that defined minimum lot sizes, what resulted was land divided into uniform shapes and sizes. These developments have become to be known as ‘cookie cutter’ with each house looking like every other house on the street. |
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There are other concerns with this method of development as well:
- Loss of rural character
- Impact on water quality
- Loss of wildlife habitats and agricultural lands
- Social implications-isolation, long commutes, etc
- Community costs for infrastructure development
- Decline of urban centers
These concerns can be addressed by the adoption of different subdivision regulations that take the design, or layout, of the subdivision into account.
Lot Size
In a quest for privacy, many people feel that a 2 acre house lot will give them that desired separation from their neighbors. But the reality in many situations is no privacy is achieved.
This drawing compares a typical 2-acre lot size development on the top with 1-acre lots across the street. As you can see, the larger lots have a larger back yard, but none of the lots – no matter the size - has the desired privacy. The size of the lot isn’t the determining factor in privacy; the subdivision layout or design determines privacy.
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Conservation Subdivision
A traditional residential subdivision carves the entire parcel into individual house lots. Sometimes a small portion of the parcel is set aside as open space. In a conservation subdivision, the uniqueness of the land and its attributes are the first priorities. This type of design recognizes that a parcel does not stand alone, but is part of a much larger environmental and cultural system. The parcel is divided into the same number of lots as it would be in a traditional subdivision, the lots are smaller but located in the areas most appropriate for homes, and the rest of the original parcel is protected open space.
In most conservation subdivisions, the open space has walking paths and meadows that all the homeowners can enjoy. Buyers purchase their lot and have the bonus of additional acres. Generally the house lots are designed to provide individual privacy yet with a neighborhood feel. Frequently front porches face a narrow street with a buffer of trees between the homes. Because the lots are designed in harmony with the land, mature trees enhance the house lots. |
For additional information on conservation subdivisions see:
GVI’s Win-Win of Subdivision Fact Sheet
Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management has produced a brochure called Green Neighborhoods
Growing Greener: Putting Conservation Into Local Codes, 11/1/1997
A publication of the Natural Lands Trust that summarizes how communities can use the development process to protect interconnected networks of open space.
Saving the special things By Chelsea Phua, Staff Writer, Providence Journal (2/26/06) describes how an area in Rhode Island is using Randal Arendt’s methodology for conservation subdivisions.
For information on conservation subdivision regulations, see: http://thelastgreenvalley.org/gvi/landuse_subdivision.htm#c
GVI can help
The Green Valley Institute can provide assistance and/or information to help your community understand the issues that surround residential design. GVI has developed several workshops that focus this topic: Development Alternatives, Win-Win of Subdivision Design and Reviewing Conservation Subdivisions. If your community would like to hear more, please contact GVI directly. Contact Susan Westa at susan.westa@uconn.edu or Paula Stahl at paula.stahl@uconn.edu.
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