How Courtyard Apartments Make Cities More Family-Friendly

Is there one simple yet impactful design choice that can make urban housing more family-friendly and safe for children? According to Alexandra Lange, the answer is yes: the courtyard apartment building.

As noted by Jenny French of design firm French 2D, “In an urban setting, the barrier that the contemporary parent has to letting their child out the door, thinking about the car-dominated city where they are unable to play in the street – the courtyard is a natural alternative.”

Lange offers examples from around the country, showing how thoughtfully designed courtyard apartments offer a way for children and neighbors to safely play and interact. “For Brunson Terrace, a 48-unit, 100% affordable project which opened in Santa Monica in 2024, Los Angeles architects Brooks + Scarpa left its modest ground-level courtyard to the kids, with bright climbing structures surrounded by organic planting beds. Exterior bridges, stairs and walkways provide access to quieter seating areas. They also make circulation more fun and functional: laundry rooms are located adjacent to the stairs, so caregivers can do chores with an ear out for their kids playing below.”

Courtyards don’t have to belong to the past. While textbook examples in brick and stone are lovely — and still home to thriving communities — contemporary architects are making courts in all sorts of materials, and for all types of housing, from apartments to townhomes.

As Lange points out, “Courtyard housing also offers a powerful salve for the housing affordability crisis. Most courtyard housing is also ‘missing middle housing’ — defined as multifamily projects ranging from accessory dwelling units and duplexes to mid-rise apartment buildings — most of which could easily be arranged around common green space.”