Derek, this house was originally built before the most draconian zoning laws came into being. Those bureaucrats you deride are the ones responsible for the modern suburban landscape of front lawns. Dense cities filled with old houses like this one are the product of the free market, in spite of the municipal bureaucracies. The sprawling suburbs were designed by bureaucrats who suppose they know best, with the subversive effect of isolating people, and preventing strong communities from forming in dense neighborhoods.