American Dream

Franklin Tennessee wants to ban the construction of houses with garages in front, derisively called "snout houses" by urban planners. Somehow, planners believe, putting garages somewhere else will reduce driving and lead to a greater "sense of community."

The alderman proposing this ban says houses should emphasize people, not cars. But guess what: Every car leaving or entering a garage has a person or people in it!

Maybe Franklin should just require that all houses be made of glass. After all, the houses should emphasize the people inside them, not the building materials that wrap around them.

Seriously, rules like these simply contribute to less-affordable housing. As I've stated elsewhere, planners are confused about which side of the house is really the front and which is the back. The side facing the street is the utility side, where people put their garbage for pick up, collect their mail, and park their cars. The side facing the yard is the true front of the house, where people have decks, gardens, and play areas. Why should homebuyers have to pay extra to decorate the utility side of their house?