Bungalow court

{{Short description|Style of small housing development}}

File:DonCarlosCourt2.JPG in Pasadena, California]]

A bungalow court is a style of small housing development which features several small, usually detached houses arranged around a central garden or yard. The bungalow court was created in Pasadena, California, in 1909 and was the predominant form of multi-family housing in Southern California from the 1910s through the 1930s. Homes in bungalow courts were generally small, low-rise (often 1 or 1.5 story) houses in the spirit of bungalow design; however, the homes were designed in a variety of architectural styles, including Swiss chalet and Spanish Colonial Revival. Bungalow courts also integrated their courtyards with the homes, providing green space to homeowners.{{cite web|last=Sullivan|first=Dennis|title=Bungalow Courts: Designed for California Living|url=http://www.redondobeachhistorical.org/Bungalow.htm|publisher=Redondo Beach Historical Society|accessdate=May 10, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111017080400/http://redondobeachhistorical.org/Bungalow.htm|archive-date=October 17, 2011|url-status=dead}}

Bungalow courts were generally marketed at people who wanted the amenities of a single-family home without its high cost. While each family in a bungalow court had its own house and garden, upkeep and land were shared among the residents.{{cite web|title=Bungalow Courts|url=http://www.fullertonheritage.org/Resources/archstyles/bungalow.htm|publisher=Fullerton Heritage|accessdate=May 10, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225100305/http://www.fullertonheritage.org/Resources/archstyles/bungalow.htm|archive-date=February 25, 2014|url-status=dead}}

Bungalow courts were especially popular in Pasadena, the city of their origin. The courts' design prompted the Pasadena City Council to pass regulations requiring all multi-family housing in the city to be centered on a landscaped courtyard. In addition, of the 112 surviving bungalow courts in Pasadena, 43 have a historic designation such as a listing on the National Register of Historic Places.{{cite web|title=Bungalow Courts in Pasadena|url=http://www.cityofpasadena.net/Planning/Bungalow_Courts_in_Pasadena/|work=Planning & Community Development|publisher=City of Pasadena|accessdate=May 10, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130310224509/http://www.cityofpasadena.net/Planning/Bungalow_Courts_in_Pasadena/|archive-date=March 10, 2013|url-status=dead}} The city is attempting to list the remaining eligible courts due to the design's role in Pasadena history.{{cite news|last=Williams|first=Janette|title=New tally of Pasadena's historic bungalow courts|url=http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_17396365|accessdate=May 10, 2013|newspaper=Pasadena Star-News|date=February 16, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130411073305/http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_17396365|archive-date=April 11, 2013|url-status=dead}}

The United States has seen renewed interest in bungalow courts with the growing popularity of the missing middle housing concept.{{Cite web|title=Missing Middle Housing: Diverse choices for walkable neighborhood living|url=https://missingmiddlehousing.com/|access-date=2021-03-17|website=Missing Middle Housing|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=Will U.S. Cities Design Their Way Out of the Affordable Housing Crisis?|url=https://nextcity.org/features/view/cities-affordable-housing-design-solution-missing-middle|access-date=2021-03-17|website=nextcity.org|language=en}} The concept focuses on updating zoning codes to permit diverse housing types such as bungalow courts, duplexes, and secondary suites.{{Cite web|date=2019-09-13|title="Missing middle" can offer more housing choices|url=https://ctmirror.org/category/ct-viewpoints/missing-middle-can-offer-more-housing-choices/|access-date=2021-03-17|website=The CT Mirror|language=en-US}} Many communities throughout the country have responded to this movement by permitting bungalow courts with other diverse housing types.{{Cite web|last=Gjerdingen|first=Eric|date=2020-09-10|title=Why Missing Middle Housing is an Emerging Trend in Multi-Family Development|url=https://www.sehinc.com/news/why-missing-middle-housing-emerging-trend-multi-family-development|access-date=2021-03-17|website=SEH®|language=en}}{{Cite news|last=Willis|first=Haisten|title=Downsizing the American Dream: The new trend toward ‘missing middle housing’|language=en-US|work=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/realestate/downsizing-the-american-dream-the-new-trend-toward-missing-middle-housing/2019/02/13/0f6d0568-232b-11e9-81fd-b7b05d5bed90_story.html|access-date=2021-03-17|issn=0190-8286}}{{Cite web|title=Missing Middle Housing: Thinking Big and Building Small to Respond to Today’s Housing Crisis|url=https://www.planetizen.com/features/110259-missing-middle-housing-thinking-big-and-building-small-respond-today-s-housing|access-date=2021-03-17|website=Planetizen - Urban Planning News, Jobs, and Education|language=en}}