Common Yard: A planted frontage wherein the facade is set back substantially from the frontage line. The front yard created remains unfenced and is visually continuous with adjacent yards, supporting a common landscape. The deep setback provides a buffer from the higher-speed thoroughfares.

Porch & Fence: A planted frontage wherein the facade is set back from the frontage line with an attached porch permitted to encroach. A fence at the frontage line maintains street spatial definition. Porches shall be no less than eight feet deep.

Terrace or Lightwell: A frontage wherein the facade is set back from the frontage line by an elevated terrace or a sunken lightwell. This type buffers residential use from urban sidewalks and removes the private yard from public encroachment. Terraces are suitable for conversion to outdoor cafes. Syn: dooryard.

Forecourt: A frontage wherein a portion of the facade is close to the frontage line and the central portion is set back. The forecourt created is suitable for vehicular dropoffs. This type should be allocated in conjunction with other frontage types. Large trees within the forecourts may overhang the sidewalks.

Stoop: A frontage wherein the facade is aligned close to the frontage line with the first story elevated from the sidewalk sufficiently to secure privacy for the windows. The entrance is usually an exterior stair and landing. This type is recommended for ground-floor residential use.

Shopfront: A frontage wherein the facade is aligned close to the frontage line with the building entrance at sidewalk grade. This type is conventional for retail use. It has a substantial glazing on the sidewalk level and an awning that may overlap the sidewalk to within two feet of the curb. Syn: retail frontage.

Gallery: A frontage wherein the facade is aligned close to the frontage line with an attached cantilevered shed or a lightweight colonnade overlapping the sidewalk. This type is conventional for retail use. The gallery shall be no less than 10 feet wide and should overlap the sidewalk to within two feet of the curb.

Edgeyard: Specific Types — single-family house, cottage, villa, estate house, urban villa. A building that occupies the center of its lot with setbacks on all sides. This is the least urban of types as the front yard sets it back from the frontage, while the side yards weaken the spatial definition of the public thoroughfare space. The front yard is intended to be visually continuous with the yards of adjacent buildings. The rear yard can be secured for privacy by fences and a well-placed backbuilding and/or outbuilding.

Sideyard: Specific Types — Charleston single house, double house, zero-lot-line house, twin. A building that occupies one side of the lot with the setback to the other side. A shallow frontage setback defines a more urban condition. If the adjacent building is similar with a blank side wall, the yard can be quite private. This type permits systematic climatic orientation in response to the sun or the breeze. If a sideyard house abuts a neighboring sideyard house, the type is known as a twin or double house. Energy costs, and sometimes noise, are reduced by sharing a party wall in this disposition.

Rearyard: Specific Types — townhouse, rowhouse, live-work unit, loft building, apartment house, mixed-use block, flex building, perimeter block. A building that occupies the full frontage, leaving the rear of the lot as the sole yard. This is a very urban type as the continuous facade steadily defines the public thoroughfare. The rear elevations may be articulated for functional purposes. In its residential form, this type is the rowhouse. For its commercial form, the rear yard can accommodate substantial parking.

Courtyard: Specific Types — patio house. A building that occupies the boundaries of its lot while internally defining one or more private patios. This is the most urban of types, as it is able to shield the private realm from all sides while strongly defining the public thoroughfare. Because of its ability to accommodate incompatible activities, masking them from all sides, it is recommended for workshops, lodging and schools. The high security provided by the continuous enclosure is useful for crime-prone areas.

Park: A natural preserve available for unstructured recreation. A park may be independent of surrounding building frontages. Its landscape shall consist of paths and trails, meadows, water bodies, woodland and open shelters, all naturalistically disposed. Parks may be lineal, following the trajectories of natural corridors. The minimum size shall be eight acres. Larger parks may be approved by warrant as special districts in all zones.

Green: An open space, available for unstructured recreation. A green may be spatially defined by landscaping rather than building frontages. Its landscape shall consist of lawn and trees, naturalistically disposed. The minimum size shall be 1/2 acre and the maximum shall be eight acres.

Square: An open space available for unstructured recreation and civic purposes. A square is spatially defined by building frontages. Its landscape shall consist of paths, lawns and trees, formally disposed. Squares shall be located at the intersection of important thoroughfares. The minimum size shall be 1/2 acre and the maximum shall be five acres.

Plaza: An open space available for civic purposes and commercial activities. A plaza shall be spatially defined by building frontages. Its landscape shall consist primarily of pavement. Trees are optional. Plazas should be located at the intersection of important streets. The minimum size shall be 1/2 acre and the maximum shall be two acres.