Circulation and Open Space in Affordable Townhouse Communities

Abstract

Contemporary environmental and economic factors make the construction of narrow-front townhouses a continuous attraction. As affordability is a primary concern for many homebuyers, opting to buy a townhouse can provide the cost savings they are seeking. With their dense planning pattern, building townhouses results in the reduced cost of services and land and affordability is achieved. However, limitations to community planning occur, namely, challenges to circulation and open space. These are two critical issues that need to be resolved early on; using principles and case studies, this paper will offer strategies for maximizing efficiency and functionality in communities that use townhouses as their main design feature.

In designing communities with townhouses, it is imperative to begin by paying close attention to roads and parking as well as location and content of public and private open spaces. These issues will define the character of the community. When choices are made about the location of the dwellings in conjunction with these aspects, a liveable place will emerge and the stigma associated with developments with low-cost townhouses will be alleviated. Despite the fact that townhouses are a building typology rooted in earlier centuries, its many attributes makes it relevant to our time. It preserves the advantage of private residential living, yet offers higher density and the possibility to create sustainable communities.

Citation

Friedman, A. (2013), "Circulation and Open Space in Affordable Townhouse Communities", Open House International, Vol. 38 No. 2, pp. 6-15. https://doi.org/10.1108/OHI-02-2013-B0002