We wanted to close the laneway article series by looking forward. We know that we can’t exactly start from scratch with our built up neighbourhoods – we have to work within, and around, the dominant suburban lotting fabric. So how can rear laneways, elements of traditional neighbourhoods, be incorporated into new development?

Greenfield projects offer excellent opportunities to ‘get it right’ through a comprehensive neighbourhood design approach. However, infill sites can still take advantage of these design techniques subject to site geometry. At Better Neighbourhoods, we look for these opportunities because we are passionate about creating high quality human-scaled neighbourhoods.

In order to create a public realm that represents these values, addressing the presence of cars is one of the most important factors. Rear laneways solve this issue because lot frontages aren’t needed for vehicular access. House frontages (porches) and gardens and sidewalks along treed boulevards can be the focus, thereby making a more walkable and livable sense of place. We have several examples of rear laneways in our projects. Here are a few that we hope will inspire more developments that include laneways:

The Elms, City of Port Colborne:

• Large functional, covered porches & balconies improve amenity areas.
• Rear laneway eliminates front yard parking, improves streetscape, urban design & walkability.
• The double-loaded laneways facilitate a garden mews for the townhouses that it faces internally.
• This project is approved and we are looking forward to seeing built!
  

Summerside Mews, Town of Pelham

• Greenfield development, located in the East Fonthill Secondary Plan Area, adjacent to the Meridian Community Centre
• The site features 18 townhouses with rear lane garages, 12 ‘coach houses’ above attached garages, and a 5-unit apartment building
• A nique feature of the New Urbanist project is the rear lane ‘coach houses’ with separate titles that offer a more affordable housing option
• The share laneway provides vehicular access to enable the frontages of houses to meet and activate Summerside Boulevard
  

The Village on the Twelve:

• Village on the Twelve is a 16 acre master planned development in St. Catharines based upon new urbanist principles.
• The 9 Phase Master Plan includes many forms of housing that cater to the diverse facets of the market in the Niagara Region.
• During the design process, we utilized Traditional Neighbourhood Design to create a cohesive and high-quality sense of place
• Parking in the rear at lower level of town homes with amenity space above parking
• Street and lane widths demonstrated support for Fire truck access
• Average of 1 garage for each front loaded townhouse minimizes vehicle presence
  

Even though laneways are the preferred design option, many existing lots are front-loaded and vehicular access from the rear of the lot is not possible. In cases where laneways are not available, design alternatives to garage controlled streetscapes are possible. These alternatives include detached garage with driveway along the side, shared driveways to diminish curb cuts and connections through the boulevard or downplaying parking spaces with landscape features such as paving stones and carports. These options diminish the presence of cars, allowing for more aesthetically pleasing and pedestrian-friendly street-facing elements and landscaping.

If you share our vision, our team is here to help. Reach out via our website and let’s discuss your next project.