IKEA Report: Many Americans Seek Solitude in Their Cars

An international survey from IKEA finds fewer Americans feel at home in the place where they live.

1 minute read

October 30, 2018, 8:00 AM PDT

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


Ikea in Brooklyn

Nightscream / Red Hook Idea

About 22,000 people from all over the world took an Ikea survey about how they feel at home, and the results were often discouraging. Americans, for example, feel less comfortable at home than they did in years past. "In other words, 35% of people who live in cities don’t feel at home in their house or apartment," Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan writes for Fast Company. Campbell-Dollaghan speculates that this may be because Americans are more likely to be renters than they were in years past, and more likely to move more often.

The lack of comfort in one’s home is also changing people's relationships with their cars. "One person in Rome reported going out to sit in their car on the street to find a fleeting moment of 'mental privacy.' They weren’t alone: 'Almost half of Americans (45%) go to their car, outside of the home, to have a private moment to themselves,'" Campbell Dllaghan reports.

Friday, October 12, 2018 in Fast Company

Aerial view of homes on green hillsides in Daly City, California.

Depopulation Patterns Get Weird

A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.

April 10, 2024 - California Planning & Development Report

Aerial view of Oakland, California with bay in background

California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million

Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.

April 11, 2024 - Los Angeles Times

A view straight down LaSalle Street, lined by high-rise buildings with an El line running horizontally over the street.

Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing

Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.

April 10, 2024 - Chicago Construction News

Officials cutting a ceremonial red ribbon at Skyline Ranch Park in Santa Clarita, California.

New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley

The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.

5 hours ago - The Signal

Workers putting down asphalt on road.

U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause

A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.

6 hours ago - Los Angeles Times

Aerial view of Barcelona, Spain with Sagrada Familia church in middle among dense buildings.

How Urban Form Impacts Housing Affordability

The way we design cities affects housing costs differently than you might think.

7 hours ago - The Conversation

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.