The Shifting American Dream
The Shifting American Dream
JANUARY 03, 2006 --By Rick Emsiek, President and Partner of MVE Studio
The traditional American dream is a familiar concept: a large suburban single-family home, spacious backyard and swimming pool in a largely residential neighborhood. Historically, this dream has been the staple of the typical American family, especially in California and the Western United States where developable land was (until recently) abundant for sprawling development. But times have changed and so have circumstances. Land is scarcer, home prices are soaring and commutes have impacted the quality of family life. Has the definition of the American dream shifted?
In California, post World War Two development was primarily limited to single-family home development. Suburbs abounded everywhere and infrastructure was built on the popularity of the automobile. These days, however, development sites are commonly second, third and even fourth generation land uses. And with additions and improvements to the infrastructure lagging behind the pace of housing development, home buyers seeking the traditional American Dream are forced to live further and further from the workplace, resulting in increased commute times. The rewards of a suburban lifestyle now come with a different set of costs: personal costs such as reduced time for family and social activities and time-consuming household maintenance; financial costs in the form of increased automotive wear, tear and high fuel costs; and environmental costs such as increased pollution. Couple all these with soaring home prices and the traditional American Dream is not only less attainable, but also not the experience it was once valued to be.
Lately, there has been an important shift in the places and ways in which people want to live. Increasingly, people are willing to reconsider the pros and cons of the traditional American Dream suburban living for the conveniences of living "in town" in a different form of residence, including urban town homes and mixed use buildings.
"We are seeing increased tendencies in home-buying toward a more urban lifestyle," said John Martin, Principal of Martin & Associates, a consultant and strategic planner for community developers and homebuilders. Martin, who was recognized as Legend of Residential Marketing by the National Association of Homebuilders and Builder Magazine also notes that the "feasibility and success of high-density urban communities has increased as more and more people desire to live closer to work and amenities, and reduce both commute times and time spent on maintaining the household."
Once thought of as transitional housing, or a stopover between renting and the purchase of a large suburban home, for sale high-density homes are growing tremendously in appeal. When located in metropolitan neighborhoods, these homes give residents the freedom to rely less on the automobile because of close proximity to workplace, retail, cultural and entertainment amenities, and in some cases, public transit. The appeal of living in a walkable community is immediate access to so many of life's elements, the elimination of frustrations like traffic and household chores, the opportunity to live responsibly for the environment and the overall improvement in the desired balance of life.
California and the Western States in general are starting to "catch up" to many regions of the country (as well as Europe and Asia), where metropolitan living has been commonplace for generations. Concentrated development of mid-rise buildings and high-rise residential towers is occurring in many cities such as Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Scottsdale, Las Vegas and currently in historically suburban cities like Irvine, where populations and commutes are growing because of a strong economy, a good quality of life and the appeal of ocean-close real estate. The success of urban communities such as the 3rd Avenue Lofts in downtown Scottsdale and record sales of luxury high-rise town homes in the Plaza Irvine-one of the first urban living developments of its kind in Orange County-continue to demonstrate the growing demand for this living style.
"This amenity-rich way of living appeals to many demographics, whether young urban professional, retired couple, family in its prime child-rearing stages or second-home buyer," says Martin. But selling the high-density urban lifestyle is not as simple as the notion "if you build it, they will come." Design is an integral component in the success and adoption of this lifestyle. The same attention to detail that goes into the designing of a large suburban home must also be applied to an attached home. Because access is key to this lifestyle, these homes must be an integral part of the community fabric, rather than turning their back on the neighborhood. These developments must be designed to encourage pedestrian activity through the use of lobbies and stoops on the street as well as ground floor retail that encourages residents to walk for goods and services, resulting in an active community. There are many positive examples where these principles are in working, such as downtown San Diego.
High-density design has evolved in that the many of the same design considerations and amenities given to the traditional single-family home are incorporated. Functionality, convenient parking (sometimes including a two car garage with a parking structure), amenity-rich kitchens and baths, adequately proportioned private outdoor living spaces and overall attention to detail must be incorporated for the design to appeal to residents. Additionally, high-density attached homes now often include shared amenities such as community centers, clubrooms, recreational uses, and high-tech spaces where business meetings can be held.
Many lifestyle demands and wants can be met with well-designed urban residences. Of course, the density and composition of these developments must be appropriate to the market place. But if located, programmed, designed and marketed well, they can be a rewarding place to live; and not just temporarily but as a place to call home. We believe that the lifestyle created in these developments will continue to grow in appeal as populations and commutes continue to increase. The metropolitan lifestyle is one that appeals to anyone who wants to live with the world at their doorstep.
JANUARY 03, 2006 --
The traditional American dream is a familiar concept: a large suburban single-family home, spacious backyard and swimming pool in a largely residential neighborhood. Historically, this dream has been the staple of the typical American family, especially in California and the Western United States where developable land was (until recently) abundant for sprawling development. But times have changed and so have circumstances. Land is scarcer, home prices are soaring and commutes have impacted the quality of family life. Has the definition of the American dream shifted?
In California, post World War Two development was primarily limited to single-family home development. Suburbs abounded everywhere and infrastructure was built on the popularity of the automobile. These days, however, development sites are commonly second, third and even fourth generation land uses. And with additions and improvements to the infrastructure lagging behind the pace of housing development, home buyers seeking the traditional American Dream are forced to live further and further from the workplace, resulting in increased commute times. The rewards of a suburban lifestyle now come with a different set of costs: personal costs such as reduced time for family and social activities and time-consuming household maintenance; financial costs in the form of increased automotive wear, tear and high fuel costs; and environmental costs such as increased pollution. Couple all these with soaring home prices and the traditional American Dream is not only less attainable, but also not the experience it was once valued to be.
Lately, there has been an important shift in the places and ways in which people want to live. Increasingly, people are willing to reconsider the pros and cons of the traditional American Dream suburban living for the conveniences of living "in town" in a different form of residence, including urban town homes and mixed use buildings.
"We are seeing increased tendencies in home-buying toward a more urban lifestyle," said John Martin, Principal of Martin & Associates, a consultant and strategic planner for community developers and homebuilders. Martin, who was recognized as Legend of Residential Marketing by the National Association of Homebuilders and Builder Magazine also notes that the "feasibility and success of high-density urban communities has increased as more and more people desire to live closer to work and amenities, and reduce both commute times and time spent on maintaining the household."
Once thought of as transitional housing, or a stopover between renting and the purchase of a large suburban home, for sale high-density homes are growing tremendously in appeal. When located in metropolitan neighborhoods, these homes give residents the freedom to rely less on the automobile because of close proximity to workplace, retail, cultural and entertainment amenities, and in some cases, public transit. The appeal of living in a walkable community is immediate access to so many of life's elements, the elimination of frustrations like traffic and household chores, the opportunity to live responsibly for the environment and the overall improvement in the desired balance of life.
California and the Western States in general are starting to "catch up" to many regions of the country (as well as Europe and Asia), where metropolitan living has been commonplace for generations. Concentrated development of mid-rise buildings and high-rise residential towers is occurring in many cities such as Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Scottsdale, Las Vegas and currently in historically suburban cities like Irvine, where populations and commutes are growing because of a strong economy, a good quality of life and the appeal of ocean-close real estate. The success of urban communities such as the 3rd Avenue Lofts in downtown Scottsdale and record sales of luxury high-rise town homes in the Plaza Irvine-one of the first urban living developments of its kind in Orange County-continue to demonstrate the growing demand for this living style.
"This amenity-rich way of living appeals to many demographics, whether young urban professional, retired couple, family in its prime child-rearing stages or second-home buyer," says Martin. But selling the high-density urban lifestyle is not as simple as the notion "if you build it, they will come." Design is an integral component in the success and adoption of this lifestyle. The same attention to detail that goes into the designing of a large suburban home must also be applied to an attached home. Because access is key to this lifestyle, these homes must be an integral part of the community fabric, rather than turning their back on the neighborhood. These developments must be designed to encourage pedestrian activity through the use of lobbies and stoops on the street as well as ground floor retail that encourages residents to walk for goods and services, resulting in an active community. There are many positive examples where these principles are in working, such as downtown San Diego.
High-density design has evolved in that the many of the same design considerations and amenities given to the traditional single-family home are incorporated. Functionality, convenient parking (sometimes including a two car garage with a parking structure), amenity-rich kitchens and baths, adequately proportioned private outdoor living spaces and overall attention to detail must be incorporated for the design to appeal to residents. Additionally, high-density attached homes now often include shared amenities such as community centers, clubrooms, recreational uses, and high-tech spaces where business meetings can be held.
Many lifestyle demands and wants can be met with well-designed urban residences. Of course, the density and composition of these developments must be appropriate to the market place. But if located, programmed, designed and marketed well, they can be a rewarding place to live; and not just temporarily but as a place to call home. We believe that the lifestyle created in these developments will continue to grow in appeal as populations and commutes continue to increase. The metropolitan lifestyle is one that appeals to anyone who wants to live with the world at their doorstep.
posted by James Haft at 9:58 AM
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