114 / The American family rowhome / with Bobby Fijan

Bobby Fijan — founder of The American Housing Corporation — is in good traffic this week for a conversation on rowhomes as the ideal American family housing typology, why density and family-friendliness aren't contradictory, and how to communicate housing solutions to folks in the States.We also touch on: Philadelphia's multi-generational neighborhoods. Brooklyn Heights, Highland Park, and Brookline as proof points. Rowhomes in local varieties across Charleston, San Francisco, Boston. Saint Albans Street's shared garden model. Communicating density through examples people already love. Finding political consensus before naming solutions. Cottage courts and shared courtyards. Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square neighborhood as template. Timeline:00:00 Intro.02:16 Bobby Fijan and why rowhomes matter.04:35 Living in Philadelphia and falling in love with the typology.05:29 South Philly as multi-generational, working class.06:34 Rowhomes in different local varieties.07:14 Saint Albans Street and shared gardens.08:47 Rowhomes as recognizably American.10:16 Using real examples of places people know and like.11:03 Brooklyn Heights and neighborhoods everyone admires.12:12 Highland Park Dallas and Brookline Boston.13:39 Dense housing designed for families, done well.16:54 Rowhomes aren't cheap—they're designed for families.21:10 The American Housing Corporation mission.25:31 Meeting people where they are politically.28:27 Finding shared goals before naming solutions.31:15 The favorite commute: 17th and Walnut downtown.35:54 Block and a half to preschool, four blocks to church.40:15 Knowing individual coffee shops and their specialties.43:03 The squash club in Horace Trumbauer building.46:33 Indoor pool, martinis, and discovering new interests.49:21 Airport access as part of the equation.52:39 10th and Lombard cottage court model.54:16 Wrapping up.Further context:The American Housing Corporation.Follow Bobby, on X.