"Cookie Cutter Housing: Wrong Mix for Subdivisions" Questions

1. What are the author's main points in this article?

Subdivisions are bland and not the best use of space. The developers and "The Ordinance" set up by committees are to blame for this. People need to voice their opinions and shake up the established order. I like his idea of placing houses closer together but staggering them so that windows on the sides of houses don't just look at another house. 

2. How do you feel about subdivisions after reading this article? Are they a positive addition to city layouts or is urban sprawl a negative phenomenon? Why do you feel this way?

I have never liked subdivisions, they are definitely a negative phenomenon of urban sprawl. The article just reenforced my opinion. Everything a subdivision accomplishes could be done in a more inviting way, with houses built in different eras for families of all different sizes. 

3. Do you live in or near a subdivision? What about the author's viewpoints are true or false, in your view (how is this article relevant to what you know?)

I live in a very small city, Huntington Woods, that mostly consists of a neighborhood. Most houses look different than the other ones on the block,we have many small parks and the irregular blocks are lined with trees. 

My House

My Neighbor to the Left

My Neighbor to the Right

An Unusual House a Few Streets Away

Another Nearby House

The Oldest House in the City

A few years ago a friend who lives in a subdivision came to visit me. He commented that he really liked my "subdivision" because all the houses looked different. 

I hate the idea of a row of houses that look exactly alike. Even when houses are different, subdivisions are either set up in rigid grids or are made up of a few streets that meander around and often double back to the same point. 

I agree that houses that look the same and are all in a row are not aesthetically pleasing. The chapter we read from City talked about a good city block having buildings of different heights and widths that are made up of different materials. This, along with different lot sizes, is what makes my city appealing. 

The other thing I hate about subdivisions is the lack of landmarks. I know how to get around Huntington Woods because I know some street names but mostly because I know where landmarks are in relation to each other. Most of these landmarks are interesting houses like the ones pictured above. In a subdivision where each street looks exactly like the next, I can't use these types of landmarks to get around.