Row Houses

Row houses in D.C.

I just got back from a short and delightful trip to D.C. (without my children!) to visit friends. D.C. is a city I always enjoy exploring on foot. During my pedestrian travels on this particular trip, I was especially struck by the row houses I came across everywhere: more dense than single family houses, but still family-friendly if designed well with access to open space (either private or shared). Also great curb appeal if designed well. When we visited our friends with kids in Brooklyn in their row house this past spring, we were also impressed by the family-friendly suitability of this denser housing form.

Row houses are pretty unique in Austin, although there are some new ones that went up recently in Mueller (but these seem to lack the curb appeal of the D.C. or Brooklyn row houses). 

Just last week, Seattle adopted its first new low rise zoning regulations since the 1980s to encourage more row houses and a broader diversity of lower-density multifamily housing types. Part of the changes include new design standards to help ensure high quality designs that integrate better into neighborhoods, and also the elimination of parking within a quarter mile of transit zones. 

 I'm curious to know what other cities are doing on this front.  A quick Internet search brought up this American Society of Planning Officials report from 1962 on row houses. A very interesting read. 

Row houses in D.C.

  

Compare the neighborhood curb appeal of this row house in D.C. with the stale building below, which is just a few blocks away. The contrast shows what a difference good design makes.