more on setbacks

[mindstalk]

The 6 meter setbacks I mentioned past post were from the inner edge of the sidewalk. There's also the sidewalk and 'parking strip' (line of grass and tress between sidewalk and curb) to consider; they're around 3 meters together. Useful, though not inevitable. (Boston's North End and Philadelphia's Fishtown are building, sidewalk, street; Japan is typically building, street.)

But useful or not, between them and the huge front setbacks, 9 meters around the edge of the block are reserved from building. The block I'm staying on is around 120*200 meters; the buildable area inside is 102*182, only 77% of the block. (Not counting any side or back setbacks, of course.) You lose a lot of city land to streets, then 25% of the remainder to this outer strip...

And repeating the subject of diminishing marginal returns, if you do have a parking strip providing greenery, that weakens any green justification for having such huge front setbacks.

Comments

[mtbc]

Perhaps it's partly about not being quite so on display to passers by. In college I'd avoid choosing ground-floor dorm rooms for similar reasons.

[mindstalk]

If someone wants to spend their land on such distance, great, but it's hardly a good reason for mandating such huge setbacks.

And it's not that good a strategy even personally. A clear window across 6 meters of grass is still pretty transparent to passers-by; if you want to limit display, use curtains. Or bushes.