Courtyard block plan. © Rebuild Collective.
Can we reimagine the single-family zoned block as a new kind of collective architecture? Making up an estimated 80 percent of developed land in American cities, single-family zoned lots are critical sites to address climate change, housing justice, and evolving demographics, yet few of these are designed by architects and planners. Rather, they are defined by zoning, which has historically created barriers to affordable, quality housing for all. Today, municipalities across North America are implementing zoning reform, rewriting the housing system. To date, however, these changes are largely considered on a lot-by-lot basis. A greater potential lies in cultivating collectives across hardened property boundaries, advancing common goals in society and environment through dense, welcoming, and lively housing options.
Drawing on work supported by the SOM Foundation, this talk shares design-research and architecture design studio teaching that synthesizes the design of building types, alternative property models, and zoning toward more collective futures.
Strategies for animating urban blocks in US cities, 2025. © Cadaster.
Courtyard block board game. © Rebuild Collective.
What’s Next A2? Housing, Livability, and Property at the Scale of the Urban Block exhibition, Ann Arbor, 2025. © Cadaster.
