Designing a Neighborhood within a Neighborhood: A Book Review of Pocket Neighborhoods: Creating Small-Scale Community in a Large

The following post comes courtesy of Global Site Plans' The Grid. CNU and Global Site Plans recently teamed up to syndicate Grid content, as its contingent of writers presents a view on the opportunities and issues of urbanization all across the world. CNU will carry select posts from the Grid direct on the CNU Salons.

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Are pocket neighborhoods the answer to creating detached housing units that are more vibrant? In Pocket Neighborhoods: Creating Small-Scale Community in a Large-Scale World, author and architect Ross Chapin explains how pocket neighborhoods, which are groups of homes clustered around a shared outdoor space, create a sense of place within a city.

For those seeking a housing option with a small town feel in a larger city, living in a pocket neighborhood may be for you. Pocket neighborhoods are typically four to sixteen households built to foster “neighborly” relationships. They are a neighborhood within a neighborhood. The key design feature of these neighborhoods is the shared outdoor space. Chapin describes it as the space between the public and private realms that fosters casual encounters amongst neighbors. Examples include garden courts, joined backyards, or reclaimed alleys.

Danielson Grove

Chapin uses many of his own built projects in the book. The design of theDanielson Grove neighborhood in Kirkland, Washington (just east of Seattle) follows the pocket neighborhood principles outlined previously. It is a community of 16 three-bedroom homes and one and two-bedroom cottages organized around a shared garden courtyard. With the case of the Danielson Grove neighborhood, the City of Kirkland is using this project as part of the Innovative Housing Demonstration Program to establish new methods to increase the housing supply.

Architect Ross Chapin’s new book uses an illustrative approach to describe the pattern of development of pocket neighborhoods that is suited for both the beginner and the novice. For those unfamiliar with this house design concept, Chapin discovers the settlement pattern of pocket neighborhoods through its origin to present day. And if you are already an advocate of pocket neighborhoods, the book offers several case studies with design keys on topics such as what makes a good porch, or what makes co-housing work.

Do you know of any examples of pocket neighborhoods in your community? If so, what benefits do they offer?

Want your own copy of this book? The GRID is giving away four FREE copies.Follow the link to the giveaway to enter for a chance to win your free copy. Good luck!

To read the original post, written by Amanda Bosse, visit Global Site Plans.