Alicia, Courtyard Urbanist
@urbancourtyard.bsky.social
Launching the CIMBY (Courtyard In My Backyard) movement in North America, starting in Chicago.
Ultimately, the battle for single stair reform, elevator reform, etc will have to be fought on X and Instagram and Facebook. It makes sense to hone the arguments and pitches here, but they need to be broadcast on larger platforms b
April 26, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Ultimately, the battle for single stair reform, elevator reform, etc will have to be fought on X and Instagram and Facebook. It makes sense to hone the arguments and pitches here, but they need to be broadcast on larger platforms b
Yeah, the content is definitely weaker there across the board.
But X still the closest thing there is to a public forum. This site is great, but it’s a very limited demographic.
I hope they can fix the algorithm there. It would be so much better if the people here returned.
But X still the closest thing there is to a public forum. This site is great, but it’s a very limited demographic.
I hope they can fix the algorithm there. It would be so much better if the people here returned.
April 26, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Yeah, the content is definitely weaker there across the board.
But X still the closest thing there is to a public forum. This site is great, but it’s a very limited demographic.
I hope they can fix the algorithm there. It would be so much better if the people here returned.
But X still the closest thing there is to a public forum. This site is great, but it’s a very limited demographic.
I hope they can fix the algorithm there. It would be so much better if the people here returned.
Thanks, found him
April 26, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Thanks, found him
Convince people with authority over parcelling and zoning to create guidelines for a courtyard block. Parcels should be wide but shallow. 2 apts/floor share a stair/elevator with access to street and courtyard. Ground floor will prob have to include some parking.
December 9, 2024 at 4:44 PM
Convince people with authority over parcelling and zoning to create guidelines for a courtyard block. Parcels should be wide but shallow. 2 apts/floor share a stair/elevator with access to street and courtyard. Ground floor will prob have to include some parking.
... support a walkable urban neighborhood, full of social interest and commercial and institutional conveniences. (The conveniences for parents on this block include a swim center, a school, a church, a grocery store, cafe, wine cellar, and a car sharing outfit.)
December 9, 2024 at 4:27 PM
... support a walkable urban neighborhood, full of social interest and commercial and institutional conveniences. (The conveniences for parents on this block include a swim center, a school, a church, a grocery store, cafe, wine cellar, and a car sharing outfit.)
... you give families the "big house with a yard" (and fantastic floor plan!) without sacrificing the density needed to ...
December 9, 2024 at 4:27 PM
... you give families the "big house with a yard" (and fantastic floor plan!) without sacrificing the density needed to ...
When we live in decent neighborhoods and can walk or take transit to our destinations, we are immune to congestion and other car dependency problems.
November 30, 2024 at 6:23 PM
When we live in decent neighborhoods and can walk or take transit to our destinations, we are immune to congestion and other car dependency problems.
I had hoped that millennial preference for walkable neighborhoods would have prevented suburban expansion, but cities have not yet risen to the challenge of accommodating millennial families …
November 30, 2024 at 6:19 PM
I had hoped that millennial preference for walkable neighborhoods would have prevented suburban expansion, but cities have not yet risen to the challenge of accommodating millennial families …
West Michigan is mostly Dutch American. My family is from there so I grew up among them. Tall, frugal, and industrious people who love evangelical Christianity, deals, and cars.
November 30, 2024 at 6:00 PM
West Michigan is mostly Dutch American. My family is from there so I grew up among them. Tall, frugal, and industrious people who love evangelical Christianity, deals, and cars.
… not very long ago emigrated from great Dutch cities like Amsterdam, Leiden, Delft, and Utrecht, where they lived and shopped in places like these.
November 30, 2024 at 5:43 PM
… not very long ago emigrated from great Dutch cities like Amsterdam, Leiden, Delft, and Utrecht, where they lived and shopped in places like these.
To compete with the suburbs for young families, cities should add courtyard blocks to their urban fabric. Replacing surface parking lots and dated single story office buildings along distressed commercial corridors is one place they can start.
November 30, 2024 at 12:56 AM
To compete with the suburbs for young families, cities should add courtyard blocks to their urban fabric. Replacing surface parking lots and dated single story office buildings along distressed commercial corridors is one place they can start.
The inner courtyards provide residents with a safe, car-free green space where their kids can play with neighbor kids without needing direct supervision or transportation.
November 30, 2024 at 12:56 AM
The inner courtyards provide residents with a safe, car-free green space where their kids can play with neighbor kids without needing direct supervision or transportation.
Courtyard BLOCKS are framed by wall-to-wall buildings that are 4-6 stories tall. Commercial on the bottom and residential on top. Residents don’t even have to cross the street to go to grocery store and other daily destinations.
November 30, 2024 at 12:56 AM
Courtyard BLOCKS are framed by wall-to-wall buildings that are 4-6 stories tall. Commercial on the bottom and residential on top. Residents don’t even have to cross the street to go to grocery store and other daily destinations.
The solution to the dilemma (house with a yard without sacrificing density and commercial integration) is courtyard blocks. For millennia, cities have used courtyard blocks to provide residents with a “big house with a yard” AND the conveniences and opportunities of city life.
November 30, 2024 at 12:56 AM
The solution to the dilemma (house with a yard without sacrificing density and commercial integration) is courtyard blocks. For millennia, cities have used courtyard blocks to provide residents with a “big house with a yard” AND the conveniences and opportunities of city life.
Families need a big house with a yard. In US cities, we provide big houses with a yard only in the detached single family home format. These are prohibitively expensive and degrade the urban quality of neighborhoods, which depends on density, diversity, and commercial integration.
November 30, 2024 at 12:56 AM
Families need a big house with a yard. In US cities, we provide big houses with a yard only in the detached single family home format. These are prohibitively expensive and degrade the urban quality of neighborhoods, which depends on density, diversity, and commercial integration.
By providing residents with urban conveniences as well as the big house with a yard (but stacked for density), courtyard blocks are the green solution to suburban sprawl.
November 27, 2024 at 10:17 PM
By providing residents with urban conveniences as well as the big house with a yard (but stacked for density), courtyard blocks are the green solution to suburban sprawl.
To reverse suburban sprawl and reduce energy consumption, we need to re-urbanize the ordinary families who flee cities every year for the “big house with a yard” in the burbs and exurbs.
November 27, 2024 at 10:17 PM
To reverse suburban sprawl and reduce energy consumption, we need to re-urbanize the ordinary families who flee cities every year for the “big house with a yard” in the burbs and exurbs.
Where is this?? It is my dream to live on the same block as a grocery store and pharmacy.
November 27, 2024 at 8:45 PM
Where is this?? It is my dream to live on the same block as a grocery store and pharmacy.
On the streetside, they have access to the businesses and public conveniences of Vienna.
November 27, 2024 at 8:12 PM
On the streetside, they have access to the businesses and public conveniences of Vienna.