How did housing patterns change in Kabul during the early 20th century?

During the early 20th century, Kabul underwent a significant transformation in its housing patterns as the city expanded beyond its traditional, confined boundaries.

Previously, the city was largely restricted to the south bank of the Kabul River and characterized by inward-looking courtyard dwellings. Starting in the late 19th century, the construction of a new palace complex (the Arg) north of the river initiated an expansion over areas that had previously been orchards and market gardens.1

As the city grew throughout the early 1900s, settlement patterns shifted notably:

• Expansion and Planning: In the 1920s, Amānullāh Khān established a new quarter to house the Kabul Municipality, and by the 1940s, areas such as Shār-e Naw were laid out to accommodate suburban villas.1
• Architectural Shift: Wealthier families increasingly moved away from traditional courtyard-style homes toward villa-type residences set in gardens.1
• Modernization: Urban centers began adopting Western-influenced models, incorporating paved roads and city services, a departure from the static, walled-city layouts that had persisted for centuries.2