More Porches, More Community!

Why Reducing Front Building Setback Requirements Will Be A Win For Walkability, Housing, and Community in Austin

What are front building setback requirements?

Front building setbacks require that Austin’s homes be “set back” a certain distance from the street.

In the 1800s, wealthy homeowners used front setbacks to show off their lawns, which were rare at the time. The front lawn habit stuck and became law, even though not everyone today uses them and front lawns are no longer a sign of wealth.

Common setbacks in Austin are 25 feet in newer neighborhoods and 15 feet older neighborhoods. That’s a lot of space required for something that many people don’t need!

Why are large front building setback requirements harmful?

Over time, requiring larger front building setbacks has had many impacts in Austin, including:

  • Less sidewalk shade provided by homes

  • Fewer social interactions through longer distances between homes/porches and the sidewalk

  • Less housing & historic preservation through less flexibility to build around trees, existing homes, & historic structures

  • Unused front/back yards because of being too large or small

  • Faster traffic through a perception of wider streets

It’s time to allow homes & porches closer to the street by reducing minimum front setback requirements

Six reasons why smaller minimum front setback requirements will benefit Austin

  1. More pleasant and walkable neighborhoods

  2. More community and more porches

  3. More homes

  4. More useful front and back yards

  5. More healthy trees and greenspace

  6. Slower cars on neighborhood streets

Examples of Austin’s many homes with small and variable front setbacks

Many older (and some newer) homes across Austin already have the kinds of setbacks we’re proposing and residents seem happy with the arrangement.

Our recommendations for changing Austin’s front setback requirements

For all single-family and 2-3 unit lots:

  1. Reduce minimum front setback requirements to 10 feet

  2. Allow porches to encroach 5 feet into the 10 foot front setback

  3. Encourage front porches by applying front yard impervious cover limitations only to parking, not front covered porches

Questions?

While most Austinites have never thought about front setbacks or have a problem with small setbacks, maybe you have questions about reducing these requirements?