Cottage communities are gaining popularity across the country for those wanting less space and more convenience without losing access to a yard.  

Touted as anti-sprawl and as more sustainable than other forms of single family housing,  Seattle-based architect Ross Chapin has compared cottages to the Mini Cooper: “smart, sensual, well-engineered and reliable.”

Successful cottage developments in urban areas bode well for Growth Management because they represent a creative and usually attractive way to add density.  However, cottage housing developments built in the urban fringes, or in rural areas, could just as well be sprawl dressed in a new more stylish outfit.  

Even when housing is clustered at urban-like densities it may be placed in a neighborhood without easy access to goods and services, meaning its residents will  be as car-dependent as ever.  A Mini Cooper can’t be considered an economy car, and though cottages are smaller, they are not necessarily highly affordable.  Cottage housing ordinances often include specific design standards to make sure cottages are architecturally pleasing and high quality.  The extra design costs often outweigh savings gained through smaller lots or fewer building materials.  

We should expect to see the pocket neighborhood continue to be a popular choice for retiring boomers or small families looking for the coziness of an urban neighborhood.  However, building urban-scale housing does not automatically make an urban environment.