Typical lots for detached houses in residential blocks and lot shape analysis

The notion of shape distance between lots is the basis for further development of the economics of dealing with lot shapes in real estate. The distance between two lots is defined as the relative area of the set difference of two lots. Using this notion, a method for identifying typical lots in a residential block based on the shape distance matrix among all the lots in the block is proposed. The method is applied to 20 blocks in the Setagaya ward in Tokyo. Typical lots tend to be rectangular-type lots even in irregularly shaped blocks. This suggests that consumers prefer rectangular shapes when choosing residential lots. Moreover, rectangular blocks tend to contain typical rectangular lots that have a depth about half as long as the shorter edge of the block and two variations of width. This suggests that some lots were previously subdivided in half.