In contrast to much of the United States, where home sizes are growing again following the recession, developers in Southern California are increasingly building attached homes - reversing the region's history of single-family sprawl.
"Faced with a dearth of developable land, home builders across Southern California are cramming more houses into less space," observes Conor Dougherty. "Many are dispensing with the single-family homes that have defined the region's development for half a century (Exhibit A: 'The Brady Bunch'). In their place they are building somewhat smaller structures in the form of townhouses or pairs of homes that share one wall."
"Rising home and land prices are driving the shift toward attached houses, but they aren't the only factors," he continues. "Many home buyers are willing to trade a smaller structure for a shorter commute to work."
Read the full story: Land Crunch Hits Builders in 'Brady Bunch' Country
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Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
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