Residential area

A residential area is a specific type of land use where housing is the main feature. These areas differ from industrial zones, which hold factories, or commercial zones, which hold shops.

Within these spaces, the type of housing can vary greatly. Some people live in single-family houses designed for one household. Others live in multi-family residential buildings or mobile homes. The way these areas are organized is often managed through zoning. Zoning is a set of rules that decides what can be built on a piece of land. Residential zoning often has a lower floor area ratio than business or industrial zones. This means there is usually more open space relative to the size of the buildings.

How a residential area functions depends on its location and available services. In rural residential areas, large tracts of land may lack basic services like shops or schools. In these cases, residents often must use a motor vehicle to reach what they need. Because of this, land development frequently follows existing or planned transport infrastructure, such as roads or rail lines.

Some areas are also governed by restrictive covenants. These are specific rules written into the deeds of a property. They can regulate how a property looks or how it is used. Changing these rules is difficult because every property owner must agree to the change. This can apply to very large areas.

Residential development has changed significantly throughout history. In previous centuries, housing was often divided by wealth. Rich people would buy a townlot and hire an architect to build a bespoke mansion. A bespoke house is a custom-made home built for a specific family.

Meanwhile, poor urban residents often lived in tenements or shantytowns. These were crowded rental buildings. In the late nineteenth century, streetcar suburbs became a common way for people to live outside of city centers. As cities expanded and mortgage loans became common, more people could afford to own homes. This led to a shift toward building homes for future sale, a practice known as speculation.

Following World War II, the United States experienced a massive economic expansion. This created a huge demand for new housing in major cities like New York City and Los Angeles.

Large-scale builders began a process called speculative building. They would buy entire farms or ranches and divide them into smaller lots. These developments are often called subdivisions. One company might control everything, from the permits to the streets and the sewage disposal. Famous communities like Levittown on Long Island or Lakewood near Los Angeles saw incredible success. In some places, homes were sold at rates of more than one per day.

To meet this demand, builders used mass production techniques. They used standardized designs and repetitive assembly tasks to build houses quickly.

This made housing much more affordable than renting an apartment in a crowded city. Government-backed mortgages also helped make home ownership cheaper than renting. As these developments grew, builders added new features to attract buyers. They included curving streets, greenbelt parks, and neighborhood pools. They also offered different floor plans and various exterior looks for the same house design. This competition helped refine the modern suburban lifestyle.

Today, residential developments in the United States often have specific features to manage traffic. You might see traffic calming features like winding streets, dead-end roads, or looped roads.

These areas are often associated with the American middle class and create the image of "suburban America." Some neighborhoods are even designed as gated communities to provide extra privacy. However, these developments can sometimes face criticism. Some people argue that they are too isolated from the rest of the community. Because they are often commuter towns, residents must travel elsewhere for work or shopping.

There are also environmental and social concerns regarding modern residential design. Some developments lack good connections to other regions, making it hard to walk or cycle.

Many designers also reduce costs by removing the spaces between public and private areas. This can result in unused or neglected spaces. Additionally, some modern developments are dominated by hard materials and lack trees or hedgerows. This can make the streets appear colorless and less green. Despite these challenges, residential areas remain a fundamental part of how human societies organize their living spaces.