The Demographic Trends That Will Change Planning

All across the country, cultural and demographic changes are influencing the way people interact with the communities they call home. Kaid Benfield breaks down key data explaining these trends from a recent presentation by Professor Arthur C. Nelson from the University of Utah and the author of Reshaping Metropolitan America.

Benfield points out ten of the most significant demographic trends that will influence planning from the present until 2040. Among the trends pointed out in the article “More than 40 percent of population growth between 2010 and 2040 will be persons aged 65 and older,” and, “Half of all new housing demand will be for attached homes and the other half for small lot homes.”

Assessing the collected data, Benfield points out that the trends project a “reversal of the type of demand that fueled sprawl in the late 20th century.”