RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISIONS: UNDERLYING THEMES AND ASSOCIATED FORMS

Land is one of the most important resources available to man. Man's activities take place upon the land and his buildings are, of necessity, firmly rooted in the ground. The way in which these buildings are arranged has changed through time in response to the changing aspirations of society. Perhaps the most basic use of the land is residential. We spend most of our time at home and the environment in which we dwell influences our performance in all phases of life. In urban situations the means of utilizing the land resource is the process of land subdivision. The term "land subdivision" includes any breaking up of one parcel of land into two or more lots but for present purposes "subdivision" will be used to mean what it has come to mean to most people, that is the large scale land division into lots solely for residential purposes, including streets, sewers, and all other necessary utilities. The designation and use of a large tract of land for homes involves complex decisions involving many factors. The objectives of this paper are to define these factors, and to relate them historically to the evolution of land subdivision design and practices.