IncDev Book Club: Pocket Neighborhoods: Introduction + Precedents: Why Pocket Neighborhoods, Why Now?
Pocket Neighborhoods: Creating Small-Scale Community in a Large-Scale World offers an alternative to single-family subdivision development — small clusters of homes where residents can easily know one another, share daily life, and still enjoy privacy.
The book begins by defining what Pocket Neighborhoods are, then addresses the fundamental question: why do so many people feel isolated in so-called “neighborhoods”? We’ll look back historic pocket neighborhood precedents as a source of instruction rather than nostalgia. Drawing from examples such as Dutch hofjes, bungalow courts, and early Garden City neighborhoods, we’ll explore what these places reveal about scale, shared space, and daily interaction — and what still applies today. Join us as we consider how these long-standing patterns help explain the renewed relevance of pocket neighborhoods, especially for practitioners working within real-world constraints.