> I'm not sure the desire to live in such compact lots. I do understand the small lots to an extent - adults don't actually use their yards very often especial

> I'm not sure the desire to live in such compact lots. I do understand the small lots to an extent - adults don't actually use their yards very often especially in climates with cold weather half the year. Yards are a lot of work if you live in a place where you have to care for it. Inside space = usable space for many folks. I'm truly no different in this respect. I'm a low yard-use person and despise things such as grass mowing. I might go outside with a laptop or a book occasionally, if the space is private. Which to me, is truly the most horrible thing about these neighborhoods. Some of them merely have walking space between the houses, and it cuts down on privacy. To me, that is the main reason to have a yard - a buffer zone between me and my neighbors. I'd be quite happy with the rural lot you describe, but I don't think the folks moving to the suburbs view it as such.