LAND SUBDIFISION 287 



The minimum depth of a lot will be the average depth of the predict- 

 able house plus such set-back from the street as the restrictions require, 

 plus such depth, behind the house, for service or pleasure as the general 

 habits of the future owners will demand. Local custom is a very strong 

 factor in this matter of depth. In many localities land is sold by the 

 front foot, based on an average depth of perhaps a hundred feet, 

 and any depth greater than a hundred feet will often not greatly add 

 to the possible selling price per front foot.* 



On a flat topography it is usual to have the depth greater than the Lot Shape 

 width, for the obvious reason that thus more lots of a given area may 

 be served by a given length of street, and consequently less street cost 

 charged against each lot. \^'here the street runs sharply downhill 

 this same arrangement remains the best, as it puts the long dimension 

 of the lots parallel to the contours. On the other hand, where the street 

 is approximately level on a hillside and the lots run sharply up and 

 down from the street, an arrangement of lots with their long dimension 

 parallel to the street is often the best, in spite of the fact that it brings 

 the streets closer together, because otherwise the back portions of long 

 narrow lots would be practically inaccessible and worthless. 



The exigencies of topography and consequent irregular street systems 

 often produce blocks which cannot be cut up into rectangular lots. 

 In large lots this may not be a matter of great importance, since the 

 relation of the house to the street line and to the lot line may perfectly 

 well be varied. In small lots, however, an irregular lot shape may pro- 

 duce great inconvenience of access or inconvenience in utilization of 

 the irregular pieces of land left between the house and the boundaries. 

 Irregular shapes cannot always be avoided, but when made, the designer 

 should be sure that they are capable of economical use. There are 

 cases where the topography is varied and irregular, but where never- 

 theless an economical and efficient scheme of subdivision can be worked 



* For a discussion of lot widths and depths see the Proceedings of the National 

 Conference on City Planning for 191 5, Best Methods of Land Subdivision. (See 

 References.) Also see paper before National Conference on Housing by F. L. 

 Olmsted, Jr., Land Subdivision from the Point of View of a Development Company, 

 published in Housing Conference Proceedings for 191 5 and in Real Estate Magazine, 

 Oct. 1915, V. 6, p. 43-50- 



