"The platform for how people participate in and build and invest in their [infill] environment"

From Atlantic Cities writer Emily Badger: "Dan and Ben Miller began tugging two years ago at a simple question they believe is central to the failings of the American real estate industry.  The brothers – sons of a well-known Washington, D.C. developer – had begun acquiring properties themselves in the city’s emerging neighborhoods where traditional capital seldom goes. "This model – with its broken connection between a neighborhood’s desires and its investors' bottom line – seemed to the brothers illogical.  Most American cities as we know them today weren't built this way.  Historically, hotels and restaurants and shops were built by local people investing in their own neighborhoods.

"The Millers have invested the last two years and nearly a million dollars in trying to answer this question: Why can’t small-time investors put their money in their own communities?  You can’t buy into a true real estate deal unless government regulators believe you're wealthy enough to know how to handle your own money.  Until now, the Millers themselves have been restricted to raising funds from accredited investors they personally know.

"Then, finally, in August, they successfully took a single property on H Street public.  Under a new company called Fundrise, the Millers invited anyone in the area – accredited or not – to invest online in this one building and its future business for shares as small as $100, in a public offering qualified by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

"When the Millers first started mulling this, they had no idea if what they wanted to do was logistically possible.  The SEC does, however, have a little-used mechanism – Regulation A – that permits small offerings to unaccredited investors in exchange for time-consuming and financially costly scrutiny by both federal and state regulators.  In 2011, 19 such offerings were filed with the SEC.

"Ben remembers sitting in the conference room with a real estate lawyer, explaining that he and Dan wanted to raise money from small-time investors for small, local projects.  'He looked at me,' Ben says, 'and he said, "Why would you bother with the little people?"'  In all, the Millers went through half a dozen law firms, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars along the way, before finally landing in the summer of 2011 at O’Melveny & Myers.  Every one of the 3,250 shares the Millers offered was taken, with the average investor putting in close to $2,000.

"While the Millers were trudging through their Regulation A filing, Congress unexpectedly took up crowdfunding and baked a new regulatory exemption for it into the JOBS Act, allowing unaccredited investments by most people of up to $2,000 a year.  In the meantime, the Millers have already submitted another Regulation A filing for a different property they own on H Street (byzantine SEC rules forbid them from admitting that they have another public sale in the works, but we just looked it up in a public database).

"Tech entrepreneurs keep telling him we don’t get you guys, and he takes this as a compliment. They always want to know, bemused, 'what’s in it for you?' And it’s a good question. 'For us, God,' Ben says, leaning back in his chair as if to take in something massive in front of him, 'imagine if we become the platform for how people participate in and build and invest in their environment.'" Full article here.

New Philly rowhouses are green but affordable because prefab: "zero energy with zero premium"

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpLeOXGlImI] From Philadelphia Inquirer writer Inga Saffron: "Far too often, housing designed for Philadelphia's poor wears the architectural equivalent of a scarlet letter.  A trio of new rowhouses in Logan could make them change their minds.

"Not only are the rowhouses stylish and modern both inside and out, they are among the most energy-efficient ever built in the United States.  Produced by Onion Flats, the quirky firm that designs, builds, develops, and sometimes markets its own residential projects, the homes are the first in Pennsylvania to be certified by the demanding International Passive House Institute.  Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the houses is that they cost the same to build as a conventional brick box, about $250,000 apiece, or $129 a square foot.

"Onion Flats wasn't asked to deliver quality design when the firm was hired by a local nonprofit development group, Raise of Hope, architect Tim McDonald recounted.  How fast and cheap could they build the houses, Raise of Hope wanted to know.  McDonald promised to make the design as sophisticated and energy-efficient as the homes his company is now selling for $700,000-plus on North American Street in Northern Liberties.

"Onion Flats was able to pull off the feat because of the work it has done to develop low-cost, modular construction techniques. A few years ago, Onion Flats founded a spin-off company called Blox to build rowhouses in sections inside a Pottstown factory.  While the modules were being assembled in the factory, Onion Flats was able to prepare the site, saving time and money.  Today, barely six months after Onion Flats received the Logan commission, the three rowhouses stand in the dappled shade of mature trees, ready for families to move in.

"McDonald sees the project as proof that low-income housing can be just as good as the market-rate version. 'These are zero energy with zero premium, so there should be zero debate. Why would you build it any other way?'"  Full article here.

Study: 1% increase in "detached" housing correlated with 10.8% increase in price decline

From CNU-sponsored researcher Kevin Gillen: "This report analyzes how varying levels of house price declines are correlated with varying characteristics of New Urbanist principles: walkability, central location, density, mixture of uses and access to public transportation. "In Philadelphia, during the most recent housing downturn of 2007-2012, home price declines have been greatest in the relatively low-density suburbs (-32.7%), second-most in Philadelphia county (-26.7%) and the smallest in the urban core of Center City (-20.2%).

"The R-squared indicates that 76% (out of a possible 100%) of the regional variation in house price declines are explained by the location, design and socio-economic characteristics of the individual communities.

• Every 1-person increase in a Zip’s population density is associated with a - 0.00287% decrease in the magnitude of house price declines.
• Every 1% increase in the percent of a Zip’s building stock that is classified as 'residential' is associated with a 70.4% increase in the magnitude of house price declines.
• Every 1% increase in the percent of a Zip’s housing stock that is classified as 'detached' (as opposed to “attached”) is associated with a 10.8% increase in the magnitude of house price declines.
• Being a Zip code that contains a balanced mix of both residential and commercial properties is associated with a 6.4% decrease in the magnitude of house price declines.
• Every additional business (per square mile) that a Zip code has is associated with a 0.01% decrease in the magnitude of house price declines."

"Homes in mixed-use, walkable, relatively higher-density neighborhoods and communities with access to public transportation retained relatively more of their value during the bust.  They were worth an average of $192,624 by the time the market hit its bottom in 2012.  [See chart above.]  By contrast, the dwellings that lost the most of their value were in areas that had a high degree of residential-only development and a high percentage of detached homes. Their average post-bubble value was $111,329."  Full paper here.

Guide to new Philadelphia rowhouses: 26 new rowhouses with photos and critique

If you've been looking for examples of new urban townhouse construction, look no further than these 26 different projects with photos and analysis by Hidden City Philadelphia writer Michael Burlando: "If you want to see how Philadelphia builds row houses today, for better or worse, there’s no better place to visit than Graduate Hospital. "During the feverish rebuilding of the neighborhood that took place over the last decade – G-Ho went from more than 500 vacant lots and houses in 1998 to fewer than 100 today – the mania of the boom gave rise to the infamous 'G-Ho Special.'  Vinyl and stucco abounded; vapid garage-fronts and a total lack of detailing were the order of the day.  There are great contemporary houses in the mix as well, bringing new materials, attitudes, and life to the old blocks in sensitive and thoughtful ways."  Full post with all photos and analysis here.

Washington, DC height limit: fed gov considers raising, many reasons not to. What are yours?

The US federal government is considering raising Washington, DC's height limit, which has sparked several articles pro and con.  One of the better articles (not just because it favors lower height) is from Atlantic Cities writer Kaid Benfield, who responds to several pro-tall arguments, including affordability and sustainability Limiting supply reduces affordability?  "Maybe the reason developers say we 'can’t grow' is because we may be running out of large, undeveloped sites suitable for mega-projects. Personally, I don’t see why that’s a bad thing: I think it would be better for the city (if not for large developers) to add new buildings in a more incremental, fine-grained way on smaller parcels as their current uses go out of service.

Increasing density helps the environment?  "There is little additional benefit to these environmental indicators, for example, as density increases beyond about 60 homes per acre, as one might find in a three- or four-story apartment building.  In any event, denser doesn’t necessarily mean taller.  These numbers may surprise you: Barcelona is denser than New York City, housing 41,000 people per square mile compared to New York’s 27,000.  It does not have buildings taller than Washington’s."  (Image credit: Flickr user Schodts.)

Guide to new Philadelphia rowhouse features: stoops, garages, gas meters, bay windows, etc.

From Hidden City Philadelphia, a series of posts called the "Field Guide to New Row House Construction".  From the introduction: "New row houses are larger, bolder, and more visually incoherent than those built before World War II.  Even so, architects and developers still have a limited palette with which to work, especially on infill projects where the small lot size is a constraint on form. This makes details such as as lintels, stoops, cornices and bay windows all the more important, yet they are often given short shrift.  Meanwhile, new design problems such as integrating first floor garages and gas meters have made creating a coherent design a greater challenge than before."

Gas Meter: "Most Philadelphia row houses rely on a Quaker simplicity for their good looks–a creamy marble stoop, red brick, white shutters.  What to do with gas meters, those ugly metal pimples that have popped up on the face of new row house construction?  You can hide it in a box, either plain, or stylish, or better yet, make the box match the building and put flowers on top of it."

Garage Door: "No single factor changed the use and the look of row house facades more than when the City mandated off street parking for new row house construction decades ago. A garage means losing much of the stoop, as well as the first floor window.  It also effectively deadens the interplay between pedestrian and building, giving a passer-by nothing to look at or into.  It takes some truly inspired architecture to achieve even a modicum of harmony on a row house with a first floor garage."

Front Doors and Stoops: "A little color can really liven up a doorway, yet the vast majority of doors on new construction are black, white or gray.  No doubt builders choose neutral colors to appeal (or at least not offend) the greatest number of buyers.  Hopefully, homeowners will add a little more variety over time, as this  one did.  After he painted the grille work, trim and door, several neighbors followed his lead painting their doors as well."

Bays and Balconies: "In the search for more square footage and light, many architects and builders of new row houses in Graduate Hospital have turned to the bay window.  Beyond its functionality, though, the bay window provides the most obvious way to differentiate one row from another,  and developers have run wild with this relative freedom, experimenting with new shapes, colors, materials and proportions.  Along with their appearance, what’s new and different about this profusion of bay windows is their placement on the second and third floor.  The problem with the new second-and-third floor facades is that they tend to make the buildings appear top-heavy."

News about Townhouse Center: we got 3 grants from Knight Foundation, pro urban neighborhoods!

I am thankful and honored to announce that three Townhouse Center programs to help build better urban neighborhoods have been fully funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation:

• South Florida’s Best Block, a photo and video competition to generate community discussion about what makes a good block,
• Hi-Res Miami, a small building prototype whose plans will be downloadable for free to reduce the cost of urban development, and
• An architecture course to teach the next generation how to design small urban buildings.

Townhouse Center helps build better urban neighborhoods by promoting their fundamental building block: small, adaptable buildings, like in Boston’s North End or New York’s West Village.  According to Knight Foundation Miami program director Matt Haggman, “Knight Foundation supports informed and engaged communities, a mission that is helped by how a community is built.  Townhouse Center focuses on the building characteristics that make neighborhoods more attractive and welcoming.”

South Florida’s Best Block.  The competition, presented with the Miami Herald and WLRN, culminated in an award ceremony in early October. From more than 200 photos and videos, judges chose cash prize winners as well as the overall best block: Espanola Way in Miami Beach.  Miami Herald managing editor Rick Hirsch says, “The competition engaged an unprecedented cross-section of South Floridians in a discussion about how blocks with a mix of uses create rich urban life.”  More at miamiherald.com/bestblock.

Hi-Res Miami.  Work has already begun on architectural plans in collaboration with Interface Studio Architects.  The prototype will be tailored for Miami, with input from numerous stakeholders.  The plans will be downloadable for free to reduce costs for local developers. From Interface principal Brian Phillips: “Miami has great potential for neighborhoods that are dense but not towering.  The city should be filled in with small, mixed-use buildings to create high-resolution neighborhoods that are flexible, sustainable, and of enduring value.”

Architecture Course.  Townhouse Center is working with Florida International University associate professor Jason Chandler on a course for this spring semester about designing small urban buildings.  The course will begin by taking 90 students to Savannah, Georgia for a weekend.  In Jason’s words, “The students will experience Savannah’s remarkable context of small urban buildings.  Such buildings promote diversity and community interaction, and add up to neighborhoods that are deceptively complex and resilient.”

All three Knight Foundation grants are accompanied by fiscal sponsorship from the Miami Foundation.  If you care about building better urban neighborhoods, especially in Miami, consider partnering with Townhouse Center or supporting our programs.

Best Block wrap-up: all the photos, videos, winners, media coverage. Again next year!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgMDzyq_7HE] Sorry it has taken me a while to do this wrap-up: South Florida's Best Block photo and video competition -- presented by the Miami Herald, WLRN, and Townhouse Center, and sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation with fiscal sponsorship by the Miami Foundation -- received more than 200 entries of photos and videos.  Winners were announced at Wynwood Walls in early October.  The Best Overall Block prize was re-named this year the Goldman Prize in honor of Tony Goldman, the urban visionary who passed away recently.

Best Overall Block 2012 "Goldman Prize": Espanola Way in Miami Beach

Individual Prizes for Photo

• 1st Prize ($600): Business Improvement District of Coral Gables with a photo of Miracle Mile in Coral Gables
• 2nd Prize ($500): Jesse Bailey with a photo of Clematis St in West Palm Beach
• 3rd Prize ($400): Barry Miller with a photo of Espanola Way in Miami Beach

Individual Prizes for Video

• 1st Prize ($600): Jared Robins with a video of Espanola Way in Miami Beach
• 2nd Prize ($500): Mitchell Koch with a video of Calle Ocho in Miami
• 3rd Prize ($400): Jesse Bailey and Aaron Wormus with a video of Clematis St in West Palm Beach
• Honorable Mention: Emerge Miami with videos of Allapattah, Design District, Little Haiti, Midtown, and Wynwood  in Miami

Judges: Victor Dover, Rick Gonzalez, Arva Parks, and Greg Stuart.

Media coverage -- including video, audio, and text -- on the Press page.

Free Brooklyn brownstone renovation hints, from experienced architect via Street Easy

From Street Easy writer Brendan Coburn, a series of posts called the "Brownstone Rundown".  From the introduction: "Typically there are two structural components that require evaluation in a row house renovation: the masonry shell (i.e. its four walls and foundation) and the wood framing.  This article series will focus on the masonry component and include case studies of three townhouse renovations."

"Although Brooklyn Heights is considered one of the 'nicest' neighborhoods in the City, rowhouses in the area exhibit a wide range of construction quality.  Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens and Boerum Hill show a variety as well.  Rowhouses in these neighborhoods often have real structural problems that are costly to address because they were built during the early years of the urbanization of Brooklyn.  At the time, many design and engineering decisions were based on speculation and building materials were not standardized."

Brooklyn Heights Greek Revival: "This rowhouse’s original builders were excellent masons, but less than stellar carpenters.  The brick masonry walls were three wythes – or brick widths – thick which is typical for this era of rowhouses.  The building also had a small brick and concrete block extension that had been built long after the original house. This extension had no foundation and had settled considerably."

Italianate Rowhouse in Carroll Gardens: "This home presented us with a nearly worst-case scenario for structural degradation.  The house has a south facing garden wall which is ideal for gardening and interior sunlight, but was very damaging for the masonry.  South-facing facades are particularly susceptible to degradation due to daily freeze/thaw cycles in the winter and early spring.  The right way to maintain a brick wall in this environment is to re-point it every 20-40 years."

Prospect Heights Rowhouse: "This is almost a perfect illustration of how building practices progressed over time and exemplifies the positive effects of proper long-term care.  The structure had very few framing problems, and the brick work – even on its South-facing garden façade – was in great condition.  It had definitely been re-pointed at least once before."

Philly historic rowhouses are city's "quintessential object", cost to build was "within reach of all"

From Philly History writer Ken Finkel: "Philadelphia’s most effective tool in its industrial transformation during the late 19^th century wasn’t a tool at all, although it could be considered a machine for living.  As architectural historian George Thomas put it, the rowhouse was 'the quintessential object of Industrial Philadelphia.' "But the Philadelphia rowhouse had far older roots. In 1800, Scottish-born 'architect and house-carpenter' Thomas Carstairs took the idea of a row and stretched it out for a full city block on Sansom between 7^th and 8^th Street.  Over the next several decades, as the city grew across its 17^th-century grid, the rowhouse evolved into an upscale solution for urban living.

"But as the city’s population soared past one million in 1890, the rowhouse was effectively reclaimed for the working class.  Between 1887 and 1893, no fewer than 50,288 rowhouses were built, enough for a quarter million people.  With the help Philadelphia’s 450 savings and loan associations, a two-story  'Workingman’s House', as it became known, could be had for about $3,000 and paid off in about a decade.

"The Philadelphia model was more than a mere solution to a housing problem; it became an effective tool for a modern society.  'The two-story dwellings of this city are, beyond all question, the best, as a system, not only owing to the single family ideas they represent, but because their cost is within the reach of all who desire to own their own homes,' glowed a rowhouse proponent in the early 1890s."  Full post here.

More love for Singapore shophouses, in many neighborhoods and styles. Why stopped building?

From the blog Small Tales of SG: "Shophouses, both residential and commercial, are important building types in Singapore’s architectural heritage.  Shophouses are pretty much located everywhere here: Emerald Hill, Tanjong Pagar Road, Chinatown, Beach Road, Joo Chiat Road, Club Street, Kitchener Road, Katong, etc. "There are many architectural styles influencing the design of shophouses, to name a few: Early, First Transitional, Late, Art Deco, Rococo, Edwardian, Neoclassical and Modern.  Each walkway (around 5-foot width), windows, tiles and colours have a story to tell.  Today’s shophouses have been transformed, serving many purposes such as clan associations, coffeeshops, living spaces, boutique hotels and temples."  Full post with many photos here.

Prefab affordable townhouses have thoughtful details, subtle variation, and engage community

From New York Magazine writer Wendy Goodman: "Architect Alex Gorlin firmly believes in the modernist dream of the architect as an agent of social change.  He took me on a tour of his latest project — East New York’s Nehemiah Spring Creek — a neighborhood of prefabricated townhouses for first-time home buyers.  The process starts in this Brooklyn Navy Yard factory where the houses are constructed by Capsys. "'My goal was a modern interpretation of the traditional townhouse,' says Gorlin, who placed gas meters in concealed spots under stairs instead of in full view on the façades.  Gorlin conceptualized seven different façades in ten different colors ensuring the neighborhood has texture and variety.  It’s details like this that separate the Gorlin designs from previous Nehemiah prefabs.

"Gorlin wanted both the front stoops and the backyards to allow residents to entertain family and welcome friends.  Each house has a backyard with a car park, but residents are free to customize their space.  'These spaces have become a social center for each block, and people have embellished and personalized them,' he says."  Full slideshow with captions here.

Contrarian: avoid economy of scale and its problems by building small increments instead

From Frank Starkey via Original Green: "Modern development is predicated on mass-production, economy of scale (EOS).  The cost to manufacture a widget goes down when you make a large number of them because your costs are spread out among more 'units.'  But there are limits to its application, particularly in the speculative and complex world of real estate development. "Pursuing these lower per-unit costs we took on much higher total cost, which had to be financed.  That meant we had to sell those 'units' at a pretty fast clip or the debt service would not only eat up the economies, but also all our profits and eventually us!  Being indentured to debt created a cascade of pressures that compromised better place-making: suppressing prices, bending architectural standards, overlooking details in the public realm.

"So if scale is the problem, how does one argue with 'economy'?  Following clues from Seaside, and looking at how traditional cities came to be, I discovered the underlying economic principle of authentic urbanism is the economy of means (EOM).  In the days before massive debt, cities were built one building at a time.  When many individuals employ EOM, a variety of techniques develops.  So does a 'living' tradition, as folks share knowledge about what works.

"Variety, adaptation, innovation, progress, and tradition grow naturally out of EOM, whereas EOS stifles all of these.  Cities built on EOM function in richly complex ways and are adaptive and resilient.  The best-loved buildings and places embody EOM, and have proved durable, both physically and in people’s affections."  Full post here.

Rowhouse neighborhoods: form doesn't follow single function, rather allows many functions

From Build a Better Burb writer Susan Piedmont-Palladino: "A rowhouse neighborhood is like a good chorus, a great diversity of individual parts contributing in harmony to something greater than the proverbial sum of parts.  Their ornamented fronts strike the perfect balance of civic presence with privacy, of similarity and variation.  With varied stoops and steps, bays, bows, and balconies, the regularity of width and height lets rowhouses coexist happily.  These old rowhouses continue to adapt: once homes for bourgeois families a century ago, this particular row now houses cafes, boutiques, offices, even a police supply store, a non-profit, and a law firm. "Part of the secret to their success is that these charming buildings harbor a truly subversive architectural idea: form does not follow function.  Modernism tried to convince us that it did, though, and generations of architects parroted the phrase.  We’ve wanted buildings and neighborhoods to suit us exactly right, right now, but maybe we should give ourselves a little room to grow into them.  When form follows function too closely, obsolescence can’t be far behind.  That’s because we’ve gradually reduced the meaning of 'function' to mere practicality and efficiency, but there’s much more to it. Buildings also have to function as part of a larger form, like a street or a neighborhood, to do their part in making places."  Full post here.

Halifax can be dense but not towering, spectrum between detached houses and large towers

From Halifax Chronicle Herald writer Larry Haiven: "In the debate over development on the Halifax peninsula, much has been made of the need for increased population density.  In documents by and about HRM by Design, there are scores of repetitions of the words 'dense,' 'density,' 'densification' and variations thereof.  But there is no target for density on the peninsula.  And thus, the discourse has been captured by developers.  'We’ll give you density downtown. But the only way to achieve it is to build up.' "Much of that discourse makes the false distinction between single-family homes at one end of the spectrum and tall buildings at the other, with nothing in between.  There is a growing opinion among urban planners that density has its limits.  There is a 'sweet spot,' a point at which density and livability are both maximized while keeping negative externalities of tall buildings in check.  Now there is evidence that denser does not necessarily mean taller."  Full article here.

Natl Assoc of Home Builders continues to predict that townhouse market share will increase

From the National Association of Home Builders: "Construction of attached single-family housing (townhouses) is increasing both in terms of total units and market share.  Per second quarter 2012 Census data, total townhouse construction increased significantly in recent months.  However, market share remains lower than in past years. "Using a one-year moving average, the market share of townhouses now stands at 11% of all single-family starts, up from 10.4% for the first quarter of 2012.  The peak market share of the last two decades for townhouse construction was set during the first quarter of 2008, when it reached 14.6%.  This peak was set after a fairly consistent increase in share since the early 1990s.

"Despite the drop in market share during the Great Recession, I expect the share for townhouse construction to increase in coming years.  The prospects for townhouses are positive given larger numbers of homebuyers looking for medium-density environments and urban villages that offer walkable environments and other amenities."  Full post here and previous predictions here and here.

Townhouse back yards: not wasted, have value, and here's how to put in your financial model

From reader Jonathan Miller in New York Magazine, how to value a townhouse back yard: "What's outdoor space worth?  Expect to pay $0.50 per sq ft of exterior space for every $1 of interior space if the exterior is functional.  Add 5-10% for landscaping or a deck.  If the exterior is large (50% or more of the interior), the math is this: $0.50 per $1 for the first 250 sq ft, $0.35 for the next 250 sq ft, and $0.10-$0.25 after that."  Jonathan elaborates on the formula in a post on his blog, including a sketch of how to apply to a brownstone ground-floor apartment with garden.

FHA now insures mortgages in buildings with 35% non-residential sq ft, good for small mixed-use

From a recent CNU email: "FHA recently revised rules that limited the cap of commercial space in mixed-use condo buildings from 25% to an updated 35% commercial use, with possible waivers for developments with up to 50% commercial space." From LA Times writer Kenneth Harney: "The revised guidelines, which were issued Sept. 13 and took effect immediately, should make it easier for homeowner associations to seek certification by the FHA.  Without approval of an entire development, no individual unit can be financed or refinanced with an FHA mortgage.

"The agency's previous rules prohibited FHA insurance of units in buildings where more than 25% of the total floor space was used for nonresidential purposes. Yet many condominiums in urban areas have lower floors devoted to retail stores and offices."  Full article here.

FHA regulations have a disproportionate effect on small buildings, for example a building with 1 story of retail and 39 stories of apartments is in no danger, while a building with 1 story of retail and 2 stories of residential was uninsurable, but now could be eligible.  Let's get building!

Reflection on Tony Goldman, urban neighborhood visionary, 1943-2012, and what happens next

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEMlETpwRog]Tony Goldman, urban neighborhood and community visionary, born in Wilmington, Delaware (me too) in 1943, died last week in Manhattan.  From NYTimes writer Leslie Kaufman: "Roberta Brandes Gratz, the author of several books on urban lifestyles and a former member of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, said Mr. Goldman’s genius was in recognizing not just the value of old buildings but also the importance of their context.  'He understood that what makes a neighborhood is the diversity of uses,' she said."  Full article here. From Miami Herald writer Elinor Brecher: "In the 1980s he made a real estate move that would make him famous, buying 18 rundown properties in New York’s South of Houston neighborhood: now SoHo, the trendy residential loft district.  Goldman saw the historic cast-iron façades through the layers of grime and decay and understood that some day, New Yorkers would pay top dollar to live there.  He explained that he’d gone into SoHo 'when it was still raw. It had architectural integrity, a small scale and the community was obsessed with preservation.'"

"His biggest challenge came in Miami’s scruffy warehouse district, Wynwood.  As prices rose, Goldman began buying up properties in Wynwood, which was attracting artists but remained deserted and forbidding at night.  'For me, it was its grid system,' Goldman said in a 2009 Herald story.  'I love the fact that the buildings are up to the street line. The setback thing is a suburban thing — it doesn’t do it for me.'"  Full article here.

Thank you, Tony Goldman.  In Miami, urban neighborhoods didn't have a better advocate than him because he actually built them.  I blog about them, some people draw or speechify about them, but Tony Goldman got things done, great things.  Go to a Gallery Walk and see.

I know several young professionals in Miami who want to be "the next Tony Goldman".  There is plenty of work to do, South Beach and Wynwood can get even better, and every Miami neighborhood deserves better.  We know what other cities' great urban neighborhoods look like -- the North End, South End, West Village, Park Slope, Georgetown, Charleston, French Quarter, Old San Juan, Cartagena -- why do we deserve less?

My message is: Be the next Tony Goldman.  All of you.  Because we're going to need all of you.  Our kids and grandkids need all of us, the entire next generation of real estate professionals -- developers, investors, lenders, tenants, designers, engineers, public officials, researchers, etc. -- to leave them better urban neighborhoods.

Be the next Tony Goldman starting now, boldly, because no current interest -- financial or political -- outweighs making places to live with more convenience, diversity, equality, beauty, culture, health, and prosperity.  See the world through "Tony glasses", then take action!

More on Baltimore and other rowhouses: anatomy, benefits, and cumulative, large-scale effects.

More from the Community Architect blog post series about rowhouses in Baltimore and elsewhere.  Excerpt from 2011-07-20: "Even after having surveyed over a hundred Baltimore rowhouses and designed the 'full gut' rehab plans for them, there always new experiences.  Only if we have the patience and endurance to fill the city block by block with folks that prefer urban living over suburban will we be able to contain sprawl, stabilize once glorious neighborhoods, bring services back into 'food deserts', reduce tax rates, and bring Baltimore back as a great city." From 2012-08-26: "The standard American rowhouse is made from brick and timber, with bearing brick walls on the sides.  The party walls bear the timber beams (joists) that span the entire width of the building.  Since regular lumber cannot span much beyond 16' or so, most rowhouses max out around that dimension, just enough for a good bedroom or a living room, not really enough to comfortably place two rooms side by side.

"This simple fact pretty much determines the layout of the rowhouse: One room in the front right behind the entry door is the living room or parlor, behind it there must be a stair to get up and down (Baltimore rowhouses all have a basement), an area to eat and the kitchen.  Upstairs you can then fit two bedrooms, one in the front and one in the back with a bathroom somewhere in the middle or side by side with the rear room, to line the pipes up with the kitchen below.

"A house that is between 10" and 16" wide and often up to 50' deep would have serious problems with daylight.  All rooms somewhere in the middle would have no light at all.  To avoid this problem, almost all rowhouses have a rear area that is 2' to 3' skinnier than the front, allowing for space between it and the neighbor. If the neighbor does the same thing mirrored on the property line, you get a four to six foot distance."

From 2012-09-06: "How is that rowhouses make community and the urban renewal towers did not?  They do not require concrete nor steel or big equipment.  They can be built incrementally and block by block, ideal for small investors, speculators and local builders.  It works equally well as a starter home and as a retirement home.  It works for children (direct access to a yard) and it can grow with a family (up and back).

"The rowhouse with its orientation to the street is an urban housing type and as such conducive to building 'community'. Baltimore's stoops are famous for the chat from neighbor to neighbor. The corner house can accommodate a store or a bar with no problem. It also can become a live-work unit for an artist or a professional offering public service at a small corner business."