Cluster housing at the rural-urban fringe: The search for adequate and satisfying places to live

Communities at the rural-urban fringe face a significant challenge. The challenge is to accommodate new residential development in ways that preserve agricultural land and rural character while providing individuals with satisfying places to live. Cluster designed housing developments have been proposed as one vehicle for meeting this challenge. Yet cluster housing can take many forms, some of which are at odds with rural character. In this study, 510 farmers, township planning commissioners, and other citizens living at the rural-urban fringe in Washtenaw County, Michigan, provided Adequacy and Satisfaction ratings for three cluster housing developments. Analysis of the ratings uncovered four dimensions each for Adequacy and Satisfaction. The results show that cluster housing developments are most acceptable when residential units are built in close proximity with, and oriented to, natural features such as woods, farmland, open space, and a considerable number of mature trees. The implications for maintaining rural character are discussed.