The end of the private back garden? AIBU to think this is a crap idea?

[2beesornot2beesthatisthehoney]

www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/architects-hope-to-tear-down-garden-fences-of-englands-future-homes/ar-BB18huJd

Reported in the Guardian this morning. The shortlist of developers drawn up to attempt solve our housing crisis by new design
includes the idea of communal back gardens that have to be booked in advance to use privately!

Oh yes I can see that going down really well on Mumsnet future AIBU

"My next door neighbour overstayed their time"
"I hate sharing and want peace and quiet"
"Cynthia has just repotted all my begonias"
"Can I put a swing up in the communal garden, the neighbours are complaining"

AIBU to think that this is just a really crap idea?

The idea also that you could book out the whole garden for a gathering is rather odd, imagine a nice sunny day and you cant send your children to play in the garden as the neighbours have their family over for a bbq!

Ridiculous idea! A wonderful idea in theory but no one gets to choose their neighbours so the reality would be awful

I lived in a flat with a communal garden once. It was maintained by a groundskeeper, and it looked a bit soulless but ok. Our leases forbade sitting in it though so it was utterly pointless.

I want a garden-

1. To sit in
2. For kids to play in
3. To eat in
4. To dry washing in

If you aren’t allowed to do those things what is the point?

Such an idiotic idea! Honestly, how do these people even come up with these things?! I would hate to have to share my garden, and my neighbours are lovely. And I'm sure they'd be less than impressed with my 5 children and giant dog running amok in their perfectly pruned flower beds!

It’s just a good excuse to squeeze more people into a smaller design to make more money for developers.

An utterly stupid idea.

I used to live in flats that had communal gardens. There was an absolute ban on anyone doing any gardening, possibly to minimise failings out, but stated reason was that they didn't want any residents with grand plans creating something that was too expensive for the contract gardeners to maintain.

Those with ground floor flats tended to leave chair/tables and their own plants in pots immediately by their back door - which in theory they shouldn't, but no one minded as long as it really was only a few feet (as British reserve meant no-one would ever get that close to someone else's door and window)

No ball games allowed for bigger DC, and no pets. But a nice space and was used quite a bit when the weather was good

Yet another way to cram more "homes" into less space for more profit

The well-being of those who have to live in such places is not considered

There are already shared outdoor spaces = public parks

There would likely be continual disputes between neighbours:

Some will ignore all rules / bookings and hog the space, because they have kids vs a single person / have dogs / just selfish

Some bullies will scare off the vulnerable from ever daring to use the garden
Some will make such a dirty mess that no one else wants to use it

Hmm, can’t see much of this happening.

People usually buy houses because they like their own little bit of outside space, however small. There are plenty of flats with communal gardens, if that’s all you want.
If developers think they’re not going to sell easily, I doubt many will make it off the drawing board.

I’ve seen/heard fights over the communal washing lines that the council have put up. Mrs brown is hogging all the washing lines again. Passive aggressive washing removal and putting it on the door step.

I've lived with communal gardens
Nothing like having your own little space

Booking the garden is a whole new bag of snakes

Depressing

Do you have to hang your washing out on a rota? What if it's just a lovely day suddenly in the middle of Spring and you fancy doing all the duvets?

I bet this was dreamed up in conjunction with the Met Office, because everyone would suddenly start studying the weather forecast in order to 'prebook' the garden on the best day of the week.

It's not a new or ridiculous idea. Victorian tenements in Edinburgh have shared back greens and the Georgian New Town have beautiful shared gardens. Friends of mine have a shared back garden that is happily shared between young and old. I'm sure other cities of the same era and density have similar

This is a fucking terrible idea.

We lived in about four flats with communal gardens and they were all a nightmare for different reasons.

They are unavoidable if, say, you have a house converted into flats. But to put them in deliberately? Just no.

@ACautionaryTale

We have a large koi pond and a hot tub - how would that work in a communal garden

Well, this vision isn’t for people like you, obviously you silly billy. Any more than the tower blocks of my childhood would have been.

Well the comments and voting is pretty conclusive so far but I would be interested to hear the views of the 3 people who have voted it a reasonable idea and of their present circumstances.

I really enjoy gardening and this would completely take that pleasure away from me.

Not a chance. I pay to have a private outside space to relax in I dont want my neighbours in my personal space.
Imagine other people's children running in & out your washing too.
Really bad idea, why dont developers who think up these ideas live in houses like that?

I have seen a similar premise work well. Houses in a square, front doors outwards. Each house has a small back garden (maybe 20m2) which they can fence in or not, and then behind that a big communal area, far bigger than any typical 3 bed terrace would have.
So each house had a bit of private space to put a washing line in or do pots or a sand pit, but they all also had use of this huge space which they never could afford to have as a private garden. Great for kids, much safer than playing out in the street as many neighbourhood friends do.

However I do think it hinges on everyone having at least a small bit of private garden as well, so they can feel in control of their own little bit.

There's lots of places that do this already. I've just been looking at my BILs new house in Denmark (via Skype) where the houses back onto a communal space. It's lovely! Really big area, kids play equipment, picnic benches, lots of shrubs and trees, balconies looking out into the shared garden. But the Danes are pretty social minded and more used to looking after communal property. Probably would take some social shift here.

I've lived in a few places with a communal garden. Never had any issues really.

You are effing joking! That's awful and the developers will be left with egg on their faces when they don't sell. Only the desperate will buy them, or those who dislike gardens. Covid has highlighted how important outside space is for one's well-being. The communal outside space will go to rack and ruin. Who will maintain them? 'An Englishman's home is his castle' and that includes the garden.

Don't these idiots do market research? Or read the frigging papers? It's been reported that properties with no outside space have lost value and are seen as undesirable. They need a smack, don't they?

No doubt designed by an architect with their own huge back garden and not one thought for how this would work on a practical level.
Recipe for disaster