During quarantine, architecture forged social connections in Oakland
In the past two months, hundreds of thousands of people have left metro areas, propelled by the coronavirus to seek out lower-density living situations.
Though its far too early to predict how the crisis might shift living patterns permanently, both residential and commercial real estate activity in the suburbs of some cities seems to be rising. A survey conducted in April, as the virus was peaking in several U.S. cities, found that 39% of urban dwellers would consider moving out of populated areas.
While lower-density life allows for more social distancing, the design of many newer suburbs can create a little too much distance, isolating people into large lots and private vehicles. Right now the single-family subdivision is kind of a hell realm says Tom Dolan, an architect who designs housing based on a model that some planners call the missing middle.
The missing middle refers to a range of housing that splits the difference between urban core and suburban sprawl, with the aim of giving neighbors space without sacrificing community. The crucial blend of control and conviviality, as the book Happy City by Charles Montgomery puts it, that allows us to moderate our interactions with strangers without having to retreat entirely. Its a centuries-old model that might be well suited to a new world in which home-based work, non-traditional families and six feet of personal space are the norm.
Read more: https://www.hcn.org/articles/covid19-how-architecture-can-bring-people-together-during-quarantine
(High Country News)