Lest we forget, car-dependent, suburban sprawl is a very recent phenomenon. For most of human history, living in compact homes in walkable areas was a choice borne of necessity, not lifestyle preference. This is the reason why it’s often wise to look at past precedents for smart architecture and urban planning for how we might build up greener, more connected housing in the future. One particularly interesting example of this is Sunnyside Gardens, Queens. Built from 1923-24, it was one of the country’s first planned communities, and it still stands as a paragon of smart, urban development.

If you?ve hung out in New York City at all you know there are myriad housing typologies across the boroughs–townhouses, walk-up tenements, medium-rise elevator buildings, etc. For the most part, the frontage of these buildings face the street. With minimal setbacks (distance from from door to street) and driveways being the exception rather rule, the city?s housing layout achieves high very density, making for walkable, social living. But this layout also has a few notable drawbacks. First, with few yards and open areas to play, it is not kid friendly; kids in NYC start playing on sidewalks and streets at a young age for better or worse. And while many love being thrust into the action the second they walk out the door, after a while many city-dwellers start to crave a little buffer from the sites, sounds and smells of the city.  
Sunnyside Gardens remedies many...