What is now the South Side was where a large part of the new town of Billings was originally platted. As one of the oldest neighborhoods of Billings, the South Side boasts a number of historic sites and homes, including the Maverick Fire Station and the homes of Peter and Christian Yegen. It is a neighborhood of many beginnings: the first city park and schools were established in the South Side neighborhood.

​The maps and figures below are based on properties that are classified as a single-family residence (SFR), townhouse, condominium, or mobile home by the Montana Department of Revenue in the Yellowstone City/County Property Data.

In the data-set, properties that are not classified as one of the above do not have information on Year Built, Housing Physical Condition, Square Footage of Livable Area, Structural Characteristics, Bedroom Count, and Architectural Style. Therefore, some properties are not included in the maps and figures below. 

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HOUSING YEAR BUILT

Each point represents a residential property. Click on a point to see more details about the property.

HOUSING PHYSICAL CONDITION

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See Glossary for definitions of the architectural styles

Community Planning Neighborhoods Map

Yellowstone County Census Tract Map

Examples of "Good Intentions but Poor Results"

While attached townhouses are a housing choice we may want to see more of in the city, this particular design of townhouse has led to a poorly functioning neighborhood. The site includes no clear line between public space, shared space or private space. The concrete walls protruding above the roofs are aesthetically displeasing. Moreover, the identical facade designs of the townhouses make them monotonous. Another practical concern with these townhouses is the lack of access from the back yard to the front except through the living space on the ground floor. Not many people want to walk their lawnmower through the living room—or around a 600 ft long city block to go from the back yard to the front yard.

The garage dominates the house. Not only is the garage set in front of the "human" entryway, it also covers more than half of the home's facade. A better design would have been to place the garage to the rear of the house with an alley access. See the Parking page to learn more about how to design better parking solutions.

Examples of "Good Intentions and Better Results"

This single-family house is an outlier in the South Side neighborhood: it is two-story high brick building with a flat roof. Yet, what could have been a bulky building has been made attractive with the addition of front porches, side expression line, and segmental arch windows.

The two duplex buildings form a U-shape with entryways visible from the street. There is clearly a shared space between the buildings and a more public space along the street. There are improvements that could be made. For example, the parking lot located at the front could be brought to the rear of the buildings. Overall though, the visibility of the units from the street and the use of different exterior materials make this multi-family development work well.

The two-story duplex is in scale with other adjacent two-story houses. The duplex fits well with the neighboring single-family houses because it takes on a house-like form as well.