Just came across this article at Lending Expo: http://www.lendingexpo.net/article-20000526_snouthomes.htm about oversized garages facing the street.
There's more on the original web page:
---
Are garages really for cars any more? Is it more likely that the SUV is parked on the driveway, and the sedan in front of the house, while the garage is filled with recreational equipment, or a workshop, home gym, tiny battery-powered cars for the kids, and bicycles hanging down like spiders from ceilings?
According to a recent article in the Sacramento Bee by Portland writer Richard Lovett, last July Portland became the first major U.S. city to declare war on oversized garages, and the first to officially ban what is dubbed as "snout-houses," or garage-forward designs in newly-built homes. Homes designed with garages closest to the street, in the city's eyes, dominate the facades and neighborhoods of suburban landscapes, and are to be avoided at all costs, according to the article.
Besides the Portland City Council's belief that the garage-forward design is ugly, the commissioners there evidently unanimously concluded that these homes seem to "look down their noses at passersby, foster a mindset that turns inward, away from the street, at the expense of community spirit." It goes on to say that the designs are also emblems of an automobile-dominated lifestyle and a "slap in the face to a city that actively encourages walking and bicycling."
The garage-forward design has indeed dominated suburban landscapes for some time, oftentimes making us "hunt" for the front door of newer homes. To take best advantage of square footage, many builders began hiding the entry of new homes, using walkways leading from the garage pavement to a side-entry door. Even if the entry door is in the front of the house, it rarely has its own separate access. To prove my point, take a look at most tract-home neighborhoods. How many walkways to the front door lead directly from the street?
--
There's more on the original web page:
---
Are garages really for cars any more? Is it more likely that the SUV is parked on the driveway, and the sedan in front of the house, while the garage is filled with recreational equipment, or a workshop, home gym, tiny battery-powered cars for the kids, and bicycles hanging down like spiders from ceilings?
According to a recent article in the Sacramento Bee by Portland writer Richard Lovett, last July Portland became the first major U.S. city to declare war on oversized garages, and the first to officially ban what is dubbed as "snout-houses," or garage-forward designs in newly-built homes. Homes designed with garages closest to the street, in the city's eyes, dominate the facades and neighborhoods of suburban landscapes, and are to be avoided at all costs, according to the article.
Besides the Portland City Council's belief that the garage-forward design is ugly, the commissioners there evidently unanimously concluded that these homes seem to "look down their noses at passersby, foster a mindset that turns inward, away from the street, at the expense of community spirit." It goes on to say that the designs are also emblems of an automobile-dominated lifestyle and a "slap in the face to a city that actively encourages walking and bicycling."
The garage-forward design has indeed dominated suburban landscapes for some time, oftentimes making us "hunt" for the front door of newer homes. To take best advantage of square footage, many builders began hiding the entry of new homes, using walkways leading from the garage pavement to a side-entry door. Even if the entry door is in the front of the house, it rarely has its own separate access. To prove my point, take a look at most tract-home neighborhoods. How many walkways to the front door lead directly from the street?
--
