Millennials: They Came, They Saw... They Stayed?

According to Haya El Nasser, cities across America have succeeded in attracting young professionals for over a decade. “They came, they played, they stayed,” she writes. But, she asks, will these Millennials stick around as they age and have kids?

2 minute read

December 5, 2012, 7:00 AM PST

By Erica Gutiérrez


Richard Florida and Bill Fulton agree, Millennials not only move often, but they are also “the generation that decides where it's going to live before it decides what it's going to do.” This means that cities need to not only attract Millennials early on in adulthood, but also provide the amenities to keep them there in the long-term. Fulton asserts "capturing people early on in their lives in a metro really matters. It's important to compete with suburbs for people once they get a little older and have children." As Millennials age, cities will need to provide more than “hip entertainment venues and small flats," but also, “soccer fields, good schools and roomy homes,” Fulton says. "The question isn't so much getting families out of the suburbs into cities but getting them to stay in the cities."

According to Nasser, “The growing urban constituency of hipster parents is not timid about making itself heard," pointing out that "[e]ducated and in professional jobs, they are equipped to organize and galvanize.” Among other things, they demand safe neighborhoods, high quality schools, and larger 3-4 bedroom homes within cities, rather than in the suburbs. They also want access to other urban amenities near transit, which they are more likely to use, including grocery stores and childcare. Mayors, councilman and developers alike are responding to these demands in different ways: by endorsing school choice and charter schools, by investing in “quality of life” infrastructure and urban parks, and by building suburban housing environments in cities.

"We have professionals come and go, singles come and go," says downtown Los Angeles Councilman, Jose Huizar, "But you build for families, and they're here to stay." By building for families first with those amenities that also attract young adults, cities have much to gain. In doing so, they are fostering a stable tax base and continued economic activity as Millennials moves into family-hood.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012 in USA Today

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 14, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of California High-Speed Rail station with bullet train.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself

The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

May 19, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

"Units for sale - contact your local realtor" sign in front of homes.

‘Displaced By Design:’ Report Spotlights Gentrification in Black Neighborhoods

A new report finds that roughly 15 percent of U.S. neighborhoods have been impacted by housing cost increases and displacement.

May 19 - Next City

Turquoise blue Pyramid Lake near Reno, Nevada.

Nevada and Utah Groups Oppose Public Land Sell-Off Plan

A set of last-minute amendments to the budget reconciliation bill open up over half a million acres of federally managed land to sales.

May 19 - Inside Climate News

Alpine Recreation Center sign in park in Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA.

More Than a Park: A Safe Haven for Generations in LA’s Chinatown

Alpine Recreation Center serves as a vital cultural and community hub in Los Angeles' Chinatown, offering a safe, welcoming space for generations of Chinese American residents to gather, connect, and thrive amidst rapid urban change.

May 19 - American Community Media

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.