A terrace, terraced house (UK), or townhouse (US) is a kind of medium-density housing that first started in 16th century Europe with a row of joined houses sharing side walls. In the United States and Canada these are sometimes known as row houses or row homes.
East side of the Place des Vosges in Paris, one of the earliest examples of terraced housing
Vicars' Close, Wells, built 1348–1430
Rows of terraced houses in Middle Park, Melbourne
Terraced housing in Glebe, Sydney
Medium-density housing is a term used within urban planning and academic literature to refer to a category of residential development that falls between detached suburban housing and large multi-story buildings. There is no singular definition of medium-density housing as its precise definition tends to vary between jurisdiction. Scholars however, have found that medium density housing ranges from about 25 to 80 dwellings per hectare, although most commonly sits around 30 and 40 dwellings/hectare. Typical examples of medium-density housing include duplexes, triplexes, townhouses, row homes, detached homes with garden suites, and walk-up apartment buildings.
An example of historic row houses in Baltimore with Characteristics of Medium-Density Housing
An example of townhouses.
Levittown, PA is an example of an established post-war suburb with single-family zoning that was created due to urban sprawl (circa 1959).
Medium Density housing being developed at in Victoria Australia.