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Setback laws are usually about not building a structure too close to a lot line. On the front, a minimal setback keeps the street from becoming a canyon. Larger

by jws 7y ago

Setback laws are usually about not building a structure too close to a lot line. On the front, a minimal setback keeps the street from becoming a canyon. Larger setbacks are more of a look and feel thing for a neighborhood. Front setbacks may also be governed by adjacent houses to encourage all the fronts to line up. It’s tidier that way.

0xB31B1B 7y ago
setbacks are about reducing FAR so people need to buy a lot more land than they need to build a home to live in. It helps keep property values high and land as a scarce resource.
- lysium 7y ago
  That is a consequence, not the intention. I don’t see how you can avoid street canyons otherwise.
  - PeterSmit 7y ago
    What is wrong with that?
  - Thlom 7y ago
    Don't you have to seek municipality approval for structures? At least where I'm from we have to seek approval from the municipality to build anything bigger than a certain size on our own land. Anything that is close to a public street or neighbor also have to be approved.
    - zip1234 7y ago
      When you say seek approval, in the US at least there is 'by right' zoning. Meaning that anything can be built by right as long as it follows certain rules. The approval is generally not an approval so much as a check to make sure it is following the rules. Anything not in the rules usually has to go through a special approval of a planning commission and neighbors may need to ok it.
  - zip1234 7y ago
    Is a street canyon a bad thing? I don't think so. Perhaps if the street is only for cars, but many of the most treasured streets are 'street canyons'. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shambles https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shambles for an example
mamon 7y ago
Old towns in southern Europe (Spain, Italy) were deliberately built so that streets become "canyons" - they are very narrow, and buildings are tightly packed. It helps make 100+ degrees temperatures in summer bearable.

by jws 7y ago

0xB31B1B 7y ago

setbacks are about reducing FAR so people need to buy a lot more land than they need to build a home to live in. It helps keep property values high and land as a scarce resource.

lysium 7y ago
That is a consequence, not the intention. I don’t see how you can avoid street canyons otherwise.
- PeterSmit 7y ago
  What is wrong with that?
- Thlom 7y ago
  Don't you have to seek municipality approval for structures? At least where I'm from we have to seek approval from the municipality to build anything bigger than a certain size on our own land. Anything that is close to a public street or neighbor also have to be approved.
  - zip1234 7y ago
    When you say seek approval, in the US at least there is 'by right' zoning. Meaning that anything can be built by right as long as it follows certain rules. The approval is generally not an approval so much as a check to make sure it is following the rules. Anything not in the rules usually has to go through a special approval of a planning commission and neighbors may need to ok it.
- zip1234 7y ago
  Is a street canyon a bad thing? I don't think so. Perhaps if the street is only for cars, but many of the most treasured streets are 'street canyons'. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shambles https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shambles for an example

mamon 7y ago

Old towns in southern Europe (Spain, Italy) were deliberately built so that streets become "canyons" - they are very narrow, and buildings are tightly packed. It helps make 100+ degrees temperatures in summer bearable.