Shared Garden Density
This pattern is shaped by
Problem
When every dwelling on a lot has its own private garden — fenced, separate, individually maintained — the total land devoted to private outdoor space is large but each individual garden is too small to be useful. Three 30-square-meter private gardens are less valuable than one 90-square-meter shared garden.
Evidence and Discussion
The shared garden works when it has clear governance (who maintains it, how decisions are made), when every dwelling has at least a small private outdoor space in addition to the shared garden (a patio, a balcony, a doorstep — the private retreat), and when the shared space has multiple functions (play, food growing, gathering, quiet).
Therefore
in any multi-dwelling development, combine private garden space into a larger shared garden — allocating at least 20 square meters of shared garden per dwelling plus at least 6 square meters of private outdoor space per dwelling (a patio, a balcony). Give the shared garden multiple zones: a gathering area, a food-growing area, a children's play area, and a quiet corner. Establish clear maintenance responsibility (THE MAINTENANCE COMMONS, 52). The shared garden makes gentle density feel generous rather than cramped.