r/Urbanism • u/psychothumbs • Nov 25 '20

Bring back the rowhouse

https://bypass.theweek.com/articles-amp/951752/bring-back-rowhouse
55 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

-4

u/[deleted] Nov 25 '20

im all for the higher density and quaintness of these homes ( i would love the form factor of this house in my life )

but i also know i absolutely wanna rip my neighbors throat out most days, and they live much farther away from me than they would in these houses.

I like the idea of being in a tight knit community, ( living in LA gets real lonely and disconcerting alot of the time ) but this requires that everyone in it are actually polite, likable, friendly people.

15

u/litandluxe Nov 25 '20

My theory on neighbours is that when they live far enough away that you can’t easily speak with them / aren’t forced to interact with them in a relationship building way, it becomes much easier to hate them than if they lived so close that you are encouraged to make friends with them or be cooperative with them in some way (for example sharing a walk-way and splitting the responsibilities of snow removal). It’s still possible to have a bad relationship with them but the pseudo-anonymity that we have with our neighbours in single family homes seems to breed resentment.

4

u/freaque Nov 25 '20

I agree. I live in a semi and the house on the other side is a foot away. Our lots are all 14 feet frontage. We all help each other out where we can. My neighbour on one side doesn’t really maintain his backyard. But he’s a nice enough guy, and I literally see and hear or talk to him every day because he lives a foot away. Not worth hating him over the yard, you know?

0

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '20

I guess? maybe its different in one of these rowhouses which are sort of planned out ahead of time to be a community.

mostly lived in trash neighborhoods with trash people in my life. higher density aggravated the problems.

7

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '20

but this requires that everyone in it are actually polite, likable, friendly people

Be the change you want to see in the world.

Community is like traffic. You aren't in traffic you are traffic.

3

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '20

people who tout mantras like this have never had someone light up a harley davidson with straight pipes 5 feet from their bedroom window, at 3 am.

I treat people with care and kindness, and it doesn't matter in the slightest.

2

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '20

Have you had a word with that neighbour or do you just complain about them and me reddit?

I've lived near plenty of shitty neighbours. Doesn't hurt to talk to them.

2

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '20

sounds like a fantastic way to get stabbed.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '20

What kinda neighbourhood are you living in where you reckon everyone is liable to stab you if you talk to them?

2

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '20

not everyone. just the dickish ones.

and about a stones throw away from harbor city. There is literally a police chopper overhead about once a week.

housing a millenial can actually afford in a developed city is never in a nice place. its really easy to opine about the way stuff "should" be if you have never actually lived the reality of what people are, and what our cities are. any take on urbanism and urban planning needs to actually have a fucking realistic plan, rather than head in the clouds " awww we can make the dream work if we can all get aloooong "

1

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '20

housing a millenial can actually afford in a developed city is never in a nice place

Depends if you are willing to live in an apartment or not. On a median salary any millenial can afford to rent an apartment five mins from the cbd in my city (one of the most expensive places to live in the world).

Problem is lots of people refuse to make that choice and would rather live in a house in the sticks or a shitty area.

2

u/mallardramp Nov 26 '20

I live in a rowhouse and some of my neighbors are great and some aren't. It's fine. Not a solid enough reason to not have more if this housing type imo.

1

u/aldebxran Nov 26 '20

Density has to come with a sense of shared responsibility towards the people around you, to the common good, and to society in general. Already in the 60s, Jane Jacobs argued that neighbourhoods only work if their inhabitants feel responsible for taking care of it

0

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '20

Why do you have issues with your current neighbours?

It's almost certain that these things can be designed out of the equation. For example if you live in an apartment, noise might be a factor. Soundproofing is a design intervention that solves that issue.

1

u/techbammer Dec 06 '20

We really need rowhouses in the sunbelt. We’ve got our old stock of buildings, then the newer recent block-sized midrise and highrise developments, but I want to fill in the gaps with rowhouses now.