Deregulation in Everything: Backyards Edition

Jonathan Zasloff points us to the Backyardigans, a collection of children's TV series characters who share a backyard. Of course, in most jurisdictions there's no way to have such an arrangement, but eliminating setback and lotsize requirements would make it possible to increase density while allowing children to share play space.

It's worth pointing out that in many suburbs it's already possible to "share" yardspace, but the total amount of yardspace is then obscenely large, leading to a lot of time and/or money spent watering and mowing lawns. America can do better.

Comments

[Crissa]

Would it be so 'obcene'? It'd be the amount used for a village green. Kids could actually have animals to care for. There'd be space for kids to have an inflatable pavillion in the neighborhood without it being next to my window.

But then again, not every kid has a backyard. Do even 'most' kids have backyards? Most don't have their own bedrooms... This in a country where there are more bedrooms than people.

[KathyF]

I think he gets this exactly wrong. I'd much rather have my own backyard (garden, here) and share wall space. There are many semi-detached homes (duplexes) here, but each has its own garden, with a fence down the middle. Of course British people are much more into gardens...and dogs, which is the main reason I want my own yard! She refuses to share.