Will they stay or will they go

Image credit: Gareth Williams

Young professionals starting families are increasingly choosing the suburbs to raise a family.

With decent schools, good services, lower crime and affordable housing, the prospect of moving to the suburbs is attractive to those with small children and as priorities change. Previously, these young professionals tended to live in walkable urban areas.

A panel discussion on this topic was hosted by the Urban Land Institute in Washington, D.C. One of the panellists states, "If you build a city filled with efficiencies and one-bedrooms you are pushing people out at exactly the time that they are starting to put down roots and spend money."

By building housing stock to cater to singles, couples and the ‘childless’ you exclude an entire demographic from setting up roots. Should cities look at ways to accommodate families before they depart? Do you think that they do enough? And does it make economic sense to keep families in cities?

The recently released discussion paper ‘Better apartments’ raises similar questions in relation to housing diversity. It notes that ‘only 5% of apartments being constructed or marketed include three or more bedrooms. This could mean that very few apartments are suited to the long-term needs of household with children who tend to prefer more than two bedrooms’.


For more on the story visit http://www.planetizen.com/node/76831 or http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/digger/wp/2015/05/08/millennials-moved-to-the-city-whether-they-stay-might-depend-on-what-happens-to-the-kids/?sdfsdf

Have you say or make a submission:
http://www.dtpli.vic.gov.au/planning/policy-and-strategy/housing-and-residential-development/Better-Apartments-Submission-Form