A Paradise of Small Houses: The Evolution, Devolution, and Potential Rebirth of Urban Housing

Podemski, an urban planner for the city of Los Angeles, debuts with an expansive history of North American housing design. Drawing on examples from nine cities—Boston, Chicago, Houston, L.A., New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Portland, Ore., and Vancouver—he outlines how and why certain types of buildings were used for housing in each place, noting both design advantages and drawbacks. For example, the small size of Philadelphia’s row houses “force[d] people out of their homes and into the public realm” and led to a vibrant street culture. Meanwhile, New Orleans’s susceptibility to flooding and disease resulted in houses “marked by openness to the outdoors” and designed to emphasize airflow, which was increased by elevating them one story into the air. Though he notes the benefits of attractive newer designs, such as Vancouver’s point towers, which are surrounded by shorter buildings to preserve air and light, Podemski decries the myopic planning choices of Vancouver and other cities, arguing that by “still banning smaller, more affordable housing options,” they continue to exacerbate the affordability crisis. His intelligent analysis and deep research lend strength to his conclusion that what is required to solve the housing crisis is not just more large-scale urban developments but the deregulation of what was once common—small-scale urban home-building by local businesses and families drawing on regional design traditions. It’s a must-read for housing advocates. (Mar.)

This review has been edited for clarity.