The percentage of adult Americans living by themselves has doubled since 1960, to its highest level ever, and businesses are taking note.
Eric Klinenberg writes of a dramatic demographic shift over the last 50 years, in which the percentage of married adults has fallen from more than 70% to only 51% of the adult population. "The extraordinary rise of living alone is among the greatest social changes since the baby boom."
In several large cities, including Denver, Seattle, and Washington D.C., more than 40% of households have just one occupant. In Manhattan it is nearly 50%. The implications of this shift are just beginning to be appreciated by businesses and marketers.
"Singletons play an essential yet unappreciated role in revitalizing cities and animating public spaces. Compared with married people, they're more likely to eat out in cafés and restaurants, exercise in a gym, take art classes, attend public events, and volunteer. Perhaps more important, singletons are fueling the economy. They spend more discretionary dollars than their married counterparts."
FULL STORY: Solo nation: American consumers stay single
First-Time Home Buyers Look Different Than They Once Did
New home-buyers are a little older and a lot more likely to be single than they were 20 years ago.
The 'Two-Body Problem' Challenges Small Town Workforces
Academia's "two-body problem" may be affecting other industries as women pursue more specialized careers and marry similarly educated men. Two-career couples are likely to gravitate toward larger metro areas with job opportunities for both partners.
Single Households: Older, Urban, Increasing, and More Sustainable
The number of single households has grown three-fold since the 1950s. More sustainable and more likely to live in cities than married households, singles experience a major problem: metro areas are not planned for them but for nuclear families.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.
Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.
California Homeless Arrests, Citations Spike After Ruling
An investigation reveals that anti-homeless actions increased up to 500% after Grants Pass v. Johnson — even in cities claiming no policy change.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)