When it comes to urban sustainability and city planning, scholar Jake Weggman hopes backyard cottages will be the next big thing. Developed with Karen Chapple, the concept was recently published in the academic Journal of Urbanism: International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability in an article called Hidden Density in Single-Family Neighborhoods: Backyard Cottages as an Equitable Smart Growth Strategy.
The benefits of building individual micro-units on existing single family properties include being inexpensive and quick to construct, not taking up much space and suiting modern family dynamics (for example: live-in grandparents and recent grads). If this strategy is implemented on a large scale over time in a metropolitan area, the result could be smart growth.
Space-Saving Backyard Cottages
Urban Sustainability and Smart Growth is the Goal of This Concept
Trend Themes
1. Backyard Cottages - Emerging trend for urban sustainability and living spaces with modern family dynamics create opportunities for sustainable materials and affordable housing solutions.
2. Hidden Density - Trend pushing for optimal utilization of backyard spaces could lead to innovation in smart city planning, sustainable materials, and building micro-unit living spaces.
3. Equitable Smart Growth - Growing trend for sustainable smart growth strategies that support multi-generational living arrangement could lead to increased demand for affordable, eco-friendly cottage kits for DIY enthusiasts.
Industry Implications
1. Real Estate - The trend for backyard cottages could create disruptive innovation opportunities such as affordable, pre-fabricated, eco-friendly housing solutions for urban residents.
2. Construction - There are opportunities for disruptive innovation in the construction industry to optimize backyard spaces for building micro-unit living spaces that are affordable, eco-friendly, and quick to construct.
3. Sustainable Materials - The trend for backyard cottage construction could create opportunities for eco-friendly building materials and practices that are sustainable and affordable.