Housing Preferences

A new house is under construction with the walls and the roof installed but only the frames and trusses, respectively.

Post-Pandemic Home Building Trends: More Bedrooms, Smaller Homes

U.S. homes are adding bedrooms while getting smaller, according to two seemingly contradictory articles published on the same day from different data sources earlier this month.

August 30, 2023 - Bloomberg

View from back of mother and hcild holding hands and walking down asphalt walkway painted with game grid.

Do Americans Really Prefer Sprawl?

Not if they live in a large metro area.

August 14, 2023 - Michael Lewyn

Suburban Neighborhood

Pew: More Americans Prefer Big Homes, Longer Distances to Retail and Amenities

The pandemic has resulted in an an increasing preference for sprawl among Americans, according to the findings of a recent Pew Research Center "American Trends Panel."

August 29, 2021 - Pew Research Center

Millennials

Separating Millennial Myths From Reality

The most-dissected generation (yet, at least) is coming of age, and it's time to reevaluate assumptions about their place in the world.

May 5, 2021 - Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University

Millennial Bike

Is This How Millennials Prefer Their Suburbs?

As more young people express a preference for suburban life, Alan M. Berger gives us a vision of tomorrow's suburbs: smart and sustainable, but still spread out.

September 17, 2017 - The New York Times

Austin Construction

For Discussion: Why Are More Millennials Choosing the Suburbs?

A trio of journalists gathers to discuss statistics that show the trends of U.S. population growth has shifted to suburban areas.

August 29, 2017 - Bloomberg

Cul-de-Sac

Realtors Group Traces 35 Years of the Real Estate Market

A new study by the National Association of Realtors reveals trends in the real estate market—including a finding on the critical issue of Millennial preferences in housing.

October 25, 2016 - Chicago Agent Magazine

Portland's Planning Challenge: Better Jobs-Housing Balance

The Oregonian editorial board writes an op-ed that sums up Portland's many perks as well as the challenges. At the heart of the op-ed's concerns: how to bring jobs closer to where people live (and vice versa).

October 25, 2014 - The Oregonian

Young Crowd

Kotkin on Cities: What the Hipsters Want is Not What the People Want

Joel Kotkin checks in with a dissenting take on the politics and demographics behind the urban revival.

August 19, 2014 - The Washington Post

A History of Bi-Partisan Anti-Urbanism

Although recent studies and controversies such as Agenda 21 make anti-urban politics seem like a right wing commodity, a new book details the implications of a long history of bi-partisan anti-urbanism.

July 15, 2014 - The Boston Globe

Study: American Housing Preferences Mimic American Politics

Emily Badger pulls particularly salient information from last week's Pew Research Center's report on political attitudes: liberals prefer the city while conservatives prefer small towns and rural areas.

June 16, 2014 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Americans Pay More for Walkability

Preliminary results from a new study suggest that Americans are willing to pay about $850 more per Walk Score point when purchasing a home.

October 19, 2013 - Market Urbanism

ULI Says Demand for Multifamily Housing is Real

Housing preferences are shifting dramatically to smaller, multifamily dwellings, creating a dramatic mismatch between housing supply and demand, according to a new report from the Urban Land Institute.

December 13, 2011 - PR Newswire

Evaluating Smart Growth Benefits and Costs

This is the third in a series of columns that respond to recent claims by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) that smart growth policies are ineffective and harmful. The first was, An Inaccurate Attack On Smart Growth [...]

September 5, 2011 - Todd Litman

Will New Development Make it Better, or Worse?

Development, or no development? Nathan Norris writes that untouched landscapes always rate highly in comparison to development proposals, so it is important to use visual tools that can help quantify the tradeoff and find ways to compensate.

April 22, 2011 - PlaceShakers

Homebuyers Want Spaces, Not Rooms

A new survey of buyer preferences says that most would be more practical and make sacrifices like giving up the upstairs laundry room.

April 4, 2010 - The Los Angeles Times

Shift in Consumer Housing Preferences Favors Smart Growth

Consumer preference surveys indicate that total U.S. demand for large-lot, exurban housing will not increase, while demand for small-lot and attached housing in accessible, multi-modal locations will double during the next two decades.

September 3, 2009 - Victoria Transport Policy Institute

Home Location Preferences And Their Implications For Smart Growth

Location, location, location. Choosing a smart home location can help households become healthy, wealthy and wise, since it affects residents’ physical activity levels, long-term financial burdens and opportunities for education and social interaction.

September 2, 2009 - Todd Litman

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