It adds more open space. We kept 10 acres of woods. And the housing units were built on an old gravel pit, so we were reclaiming a disturbed site for the houses. The impact of automobiles is minimized by keeping parking and roads on the periphery of the site. Lanes and walkways within the perimeter of the housing area are automobile-free, making the site safe for children and pedestrians.
Buildings face each other, with kitchen windows looking out on the lane.
Walkways connect individual units. The distance from front door to neighboring front door is shorter than usual, allowing for more greenspace and easier social contact. There is very little lawn. For landscaped trees, we had a landscape contractor who did tree rescue of native species about to be removed on development sites. Residents also planted several acres of native prairie.