A vision for creekside row houses

A possible design for the south edge of SODO is row houses facing Paradise Creek, with a pedestrian path (but no vehicular access) to the front of the houses. There would be an alley and parking at the rear, see this first attempt at a parking and site plan.

I remembered that we have friends in St Andrews Scotland who live in a similar place. Thanks to Google Street View, here is a view from Kinnessburn Rd looking across the Kinness Burn (creek) at the row of houses. This link gives you another view, of Duck Crossing B&B.

The Smart Growth Manual (check it out at Amazon) section 12.6 gives more descriptions about what a row house ought to be and do. It defines rowhouses as "party wall houses placed on narrow lots, typically 16-30 feet... Rowhouses place a garage or carport on a rear lane... The garden is a key feature, it requires walls or fences for privacy...  The rear lane is also essential as rowhouses with front garages destroy any prospect of pedestrian life... Rowhouses have short front setbacks..."