Missing middle in film and TV

Even if you've never seen an episode of Full House, you know the painted ladies; seven colourful Queen Anne style townhouses. San Francisco is famous for its townhouses built during the late Victorian era. Because these sit on such narrow lots, extra space is provided by three dwelling levels and the deep bay windows that have become synonymous with San Francisco's architectural style.

Terrace House: Looking for Alibrandi

The end terrace on Cardigan Street in Glebe, Sydney that represented Josie's home in the classic Australian movie Looking for Alibrandi is worth over 1.5 million dollars today. However, in the film's 1990s setting, the 66-square-foot two bedroom terrace was perfectly realistic as a modest home for an immigrant family supported by a single mother.

Glebe has seen much gentrification in recent decades due to its proximity to the Sydney CBD, great amenities, and highly walkable neighbourhoods. What was once a heartland for broke students is now out of bounds for all but the very wealthiest. It's been proven that the way to prevent displacement and gentrification is to build a lot of both market rate and affordable housing, so what are we waiting for?

Cottage Court: Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007)

2007's Alvin and the Chipmunks has chipmunk-dad Dave living in a lovely verdant cottage court. A cottage court is a group of small, detached houses clustered around a communal courtyard, which replaces the function of private backyards.

The 100-year-old St. Andrews Bungalow Court was almost wholly unaltered for the film, and in real life provides 16 affordable homes for formerly homeless individuals and households with special needs. At one time slated for demolition and then abandoned, it is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Low-rise Apartment: The Good Place

In The Good Place, perpetually indecisive Chidi's dream home is a book-lined apartment. Though we never see the exterior, Chidi's comings and goings suggest that it is located in the main square, where the buildings are no taller than two or three storeys.

It's notable that a lot of the urban design of the Good Place (the place, not the show) takes inspiration from older European human-scale design – walkable streets, low-rise buildings – rather than 20th Century car-based design. On the other hand, the Medium Place, a realm of "eternal mediocrity", is represented by a single large, detached house in the middle of nowhere. Food for thought.

Mid-rise Apartment: Stuck Together

In French comedy film Stuck Together (or 8 Rue de l'Humanité to give it its original title), the residents of a Paris apartment complex navigate the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown. Though their homes are stacked vertically across four storeys, the bonds between neighbours and the community they form are the same as you would find on a typical Australian street. Instead of standing at the ends of their driveways for socially distanced togetherness, residents gather on their balconies. Instead of using wheelie bins to block off a street for a party, they celebrate in their courtyard.