For generations, Americans have chosen to build and live in large, single-family homes with outdoor living in private backyards to isolate themselves from others. This isolationist residential preference is so strong that “single-family zoning is practically gospel in America, embraced by homeowners and local governments to protect neighborhoods of tidy houses from denser development nearby.” While urban planners and developers are pushing to build more diverse and dense housing, unfortunately, “it is illegal on 75 percent of the residential land in many American cities to build anything other than a detached single-family home.” Housing diversity is even worse in many suburbs and in the fast-growing Sun Belt cities.

The implications of the built environment are huge. The United States has built housing communities that generally inhibit neighborly interactions, having an adverse effect on social capital. Because of the siloed nature of single-family housing units, Americans often fail to realize and appreciate the power of living in a community with others and see the impact of an engaged and positive civil sphere.

Older, more dense housing patterns and neighborhoods have been found, as Peter Berger and Richard John Neuhaus observed in To Empower People (1977), to be essential “mediating structures” which helped lay the groundwork for a healthy and prosperous democratic society. Berger and Neuhaus would argue that dense neighborhoods helped create an environment where people care for one another, solve problems, build trust, and cultivate standards on which democratic life depends. Sadly, the sprawling neighborhoods and homes which are where so many Americans reside neglect the street and inhibit the creation of social bonds and community.

But something is now changing for the better in our built environment. To cultivate the type of community that Berger and Neuhaus envisioned, designers are celebrating a new trend in housing: front lawn furniture. Historically, front lawn furniture was viewed as a sign of poor taste; having furniture out in public led to concerns over curb appeal and drove more activity to the backyard. But, Domino—a design magazine—just declared “Everyone’s Using Their Front Yard as a Bonus Backyard in 2024.” Specifically, the magazine observed that “when a friend invites you over to have a glass of wine by their fire-pit this summer, don’t assume you’ll be in the backyard” anymore.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, Americans have been rethinking their front yards with Yardzen praising the shift away from the private back to “social front yards.” This refocus on the front yard encapsulates the desire of many Americans to reengage and reconnect with neighbors and the community by meeting them where they are: the street. Landscape architect Rituparna Simlai observed that the pandemic underscored the importance of each home’s outdoor space. Simlai said, “The social front yard trend emphasizes the transformation of front yards into inviting and interactive spaces, fostering social connections within neighborhoods.” As such, Domino found that front yards are becoming the central hangout spaces and documented that “some have built edible gardens, others have sacrificed parts of their driveway for additional dining space.” However, the simplest and powerful change has been creating space for relaxed gathering and lounging “on a comfy sectional, taking five in an Adirondack chair, or just watching the world go by.”

I saw this trend firsthand on a recent trip to Virginia Beach. A lot has changed since the pandemic. My family and I spent a significant portion of the pandemic in Virginia Beach where large sections of the North End Oceanfront neighborhood had perfectly manicured front yards with nowhere to sit or engage with the street or neighbors. Many homes had patios, trellises, elaborate outdoor seating, and social spaces in the backyard while the front of the homes were beautiful but socially desolate. As the pandemic dragged on, I watched chairs come out and people sitting in driveways and along the street being social, laughing, and creating social capital. Almost four years later, I saw that many houses had redone their front yard spaces and the neighborhoods have transformed into social and lively spaces that are active well into the evening. 

This is a powerful change for not only the built landscape but for social relations as well. Of course, many areas may not allow front-yard socialization, and building front, street-facing social space does not mean that neighborhoods and communities will suddenly become deeply connected and flourish. But many Americans want to be more social amidst the loneliness epidemic and, if Berger and Neuhaus were right, more activity in the front of homes will result in stronger neighborhoods and may create a happier, healthier, and a more reciprocal civil society. So, this summer, Americans should sit in their front spaces, make them comfortable and inviting, and try to connect with their neighbors and communities—doing so could actually help change our nation for the better.

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