Green Building: Going…Going…Green!

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VI. Living Lanes

The other archetypal Mini Neighborhood is a group of 10-12 homes on a private Living Lane. The most desired house location in suburbia is a cul-de-sac. A Living Lane is a cul-de-sac that ends with a hammerhead instead of a huge paved 90' circle. As a result no one will drive on the Living Lane unless they are visiting someone who lives on it because it is too laborious to stop, back up, turn around and drive back out!

Why do people want cul-de-sacs? They're the only streets in suburbia without high speed traffic: and, because outside cars don't influence them so much, people feel like they are more in control of them and they feel safer. Because the Living Lanes are private the city did not object to them. The Living Lane is a curved, winding street whose view is terminated with a house at the end. A Living Lane shares all the other features that are common to livable, neighborly Mini-Neighborhoods – gateway landscaping, a gathering place, safe places for children to play without constant adult supervision, front livable porches and garden patios.

The garages are on the side of the house which are set back beyond the plane of the front house façade to minimize their impact.

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