Stranded in suburbia: Why aren’t Americans moving to the city?

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Stranded in suburbia: Why aren’t Americans moving to the city?

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Started 7 months ago by Walker
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Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Stranded in suburbia: Why aren’t Americans moving to the city? 44

BY GREG HANSCOM
17 OCT 2011 12:12 PM

Somewhere on the way back to the city, Americans got sidetracked.

Polling by the real estate advising firm RCLCO finds that 88 percent of Millenials want to live in cities. Their parents, the Baby Boomers, also express a burning desire to live in denser, less car-dependent settings. But in the past decade, many major cities saw population declines, and the overwhelming majority of population growth was in the suburbs.

READ MORE: http://www.grist.org/cities/2011-10-17-stranded-in-suburbia-what-happened-to-those-plans-to-move-to-the

Posted 7 months ago #
rus

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Perhaps related:

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/neighborhoods/2011/10/suburbia-land-of-immigrants/309/

The foreign-born population is growing in the U.S., and spreading. About 40 million foreign-born residents live in the U.S. as of 2010, according to a recent Brookings Institution analysis of American Community Survey data. Roughly 8.8 million were added to the population between 2000 and 2010. But unlike counts in the past, more and more of these immigrants are living outside typical immigration hotspots like Los Angeles and New York. They’re moving to smaller cities and the suburbs of larger cities.

Posted 7 months ago #
cbus11

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My friends have been on house buying sprees due to the housing market and interest rates. I will say I have seen this phenomena occuring a lot and I am not sure if it is all them or if maybe some of the seeds are planted by realtors as they look for homes.

Almost all of them start by saying they want to live in the city or central rings. They mention riding bikes to bars or work. How they like buildings with character and they want to invest in an up and coming area.

Then as they have been looking you start to hear them drop catch phrases like newer house, safer area, bigger backyard, garage, better schools, planning for the future, etc. I am not saying it is accurate thinking, I am just seeing the process occurring again and again.

Posted 7 months ago #
surber17

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There is def a safety concern (even if its false) along with schooling.

Posted 7 months ago #
Neil Jaye

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I didn’t read the whole article so I am sorry if this post repeats what’s already stated…

I think the answer to the question of why people want to live in urban but don’t is very simple: Money.

To live in urban center neighborhoods limit you to one of two options; expensive trendy homes/apartments with the bars, shops, parks, etc. nearby or low income neighborhoods where there is a fear of crime, plight, etc. Yes, there are up-and-comings areas that are affordable, but let’s face it they are usually a block or two surrounded by more dangerous areas. I would love to live downtown or one of the urban center neighborhoods, but the area’s I like are too expensive for the returns (IMO). I think lots of other young people and boomers are feeling the same way.

The cost of living downtown (mainly referring to Columbus here) plus the added expenses of HOA fees, parking costs, lack of adequate grocers, etc. outweigh the benefits of the nearby entertainment and cool address. Living in the burbs is not cool and it lacks many of the things that I like, but for half the price I have a place twice the size, free and plentiful parking, 3 large grocers within walking distance, nearby pubs (though not trendy but they have my friends), close movie theaters, safe nearby parks, good public schools (if you have kids), and I can safely walk around at night without worry.

I think it’s an issue of cost and simplicity. And also, Columbus’ lack of cheap and convenient metro-wide transportation makes living without a car difficult, if not impossible. If you live downtown and don’t own a car, large area of the metro area are simply inaccessible.

So yes, urban living is a desire for many but the sheer reality of the expenses and/or lack of amenities make it out of reach or impractical for many…and maybe it should be. If you make urban living for EVERYONE, would it continue to be the cool desirable place to live? Probably not.

Posted 7 months ago #
BuckeyeShadow
Behind that Buckeye Tree
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Two words: Growth boundaries.

Works for Portland, but you'd have to literally beat down the housing industry here (and elsewhere) to see anything approaching sane land use & development policy take hold. If you don't stop or strongly regulate sprawl, it will continue on indefinitely.

Posted 7 months ago #
cheap
Westgate
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the only thing i got out of that article is that a lot of people lied in that poll.

Posted 7 months ago #
Neil Jaye

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BuckeyeShadow said:
Two words: Growth boundaries.

Works for Portland, but you'd have to literally beat down the housing industry here (and elsewhere) to see anything approaching sane land use & development policy take hold. If you don't stop or strongly regulate sprawl, it will continue on indefinitely.

I could be wrong -- I have never been to Portland [OR] -- but from what I have heard Portland is not a good comparison for a place like Columbus. Portland seems to be more urban-centric by necessity. Being surrounded by mountains/hills, they do not have the ability for sprawl like Columbus does. I picture a place that does not have the means for sprawl so urban planning suits it better. Land is still a strong commodity in cities like Columbus. I think a better planning model would be to look at cities like Chicago and DC that have effectively combined a thriving urban center by connecting the suburbs to the city. (Yes, I hate to derail the thread but...) The best way to do this is by effectively making the entire city/metro area easily accessible to all via good public transportation. What I miss most about living in DC, and many visits to Chicago, is the fact that no matter where you live getting around via public transportation is convenient, simple and cheap. I know Columbus is no where near the size or scope of those cities, but that type of planning would be great for this city in so many ways.

Posted 7 months ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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cheap said:
the only thing i got out of that article is that a lot of people lied in that poll.

I don't think that's the case. It's not an uncommon thing for someone's desires to differ from reality.

It sounds like a lot of people in the demographic groups surveyed *want* to live in an urban area but there are challenges preventing them from following through with it.

Posted 7 months ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Neil Jaye said:
I think the answer to the question of why people want to live in urban but don’t is very simple: Money.

In other cities I can see that being a blockade.

In Columbus, not so much. We have so much diversity in housing stock and housing sizes in various neighborhoods (both urban and suburban) that very few areas are completely priced out of realistic realms for most people.

If you're drilling down to the point of not being able to live in a specific condo building, then yes, perhaps price is a factor. But if we're talking about exploring options within a 3 mile radius of Broad & High, then your affordable options are plentiful.

Posted 7 months ago #
Neil Jaye

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Walker said:

In Columbus, not so much. We have so much diversity in housing stock and housing sizes in various neighborhoods (both urban and suburban) that very few areas are completely priced out of realistic realms for most people.

Walker: I see your point, but I think that for many people, if not most, they are wanting to live in the city for the options that tend to only be affordable in the more expensive area. Yes, there are people that work downtown and want to leave there simply for that reason, but I think many people want to live downtown for the quality of life only available in the more high-end areas. Now, that is something that can be worked on and I truly hope it changes, but I think for the purposes of this article and thread the answer still lies in money and affordability.

Like I said, and still feel it’s currently the case in Columbus “To live in urban center neighborhoods limit you to one of two options; expensive trendy homes/apartments with the bars, shops, parks, etc. nearby or low income neighborhoods where there is a fear of crime, plight, etc. Yes, there are up-and-comings areas that are affordable, but let’s face it they are usually a block or two surrounded by more dangerous (should have said “questionable”) areas.

Posted 7 months ago #
johnwirtz
Evanston, IL
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I've been house-hunting myself. One of my problems is that I like older neighborhoods and the character of older houses, but not so much the small rooms, small closets, leaky basements, and sloped floors in the old houses. An old house in good condition in a good location tends to be very expensive. This has led to John Wirtz's rule of urban real estate:

When considering location, housing quality (includes size and condition), and price, you will almost always have to compromise on one of the three.

think most people compromise on location before housing quality, and most people don't have the luxury of choosing a higher price.

Posted 7 months ago #
peter
Arena District
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Location.
Price.
Size.

Pick 2.

Posted 7 months ago #
johnwirtz
Evanston, IL
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Also, people are moving back to the city, but only the very center of it:
http://www.datapointed.net/2011/04/maps-us-population-change-2000-2010-census/

Posted 7 months ago #
cbus11

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A lot of my friends moved to the central city after finishing college. They either purchased fixer uppers, bought condos or rented. Now in their early 30's they seem to be looking to buy again and this is taking them further afoot.

Posted 7 months ago #
melikecheese
Merion Village
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Walker said:
In other cities I can see that being a blockade.

In Columbus, not so much. We have so much diversity in housing stock and housing sizes in various neighborhoods (both urban and suburban) that very few areas are completely priced out of realistic realms for most people.

Yeah I purchased right near downtown because it was way cheaper then moving to the burbs.

Posted 7 months ago #
GCrites80s
5xNW
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I'd like to have a decent-sized garage for car and bike tinkering, but I'm not giving up walkability or vibracy for one at this time. They can be had together, but then it gets too expensive for my budget.

Posted 7 months ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Neil Jaye said:
Walker: I see your point, but I think that for many people, if not most, they are wanting to live in the city for the options that tend to only be affordable in the more expensive area.

If someone is expecting high-end options in the home that they choose, then they're going to be purchasing something expensive whether it's in the suburbs or Downtown.

Neil Jaye said:
Like I said, and still feel it’s currently the case in Columbus “To live in urban center neighborhoods limit you to one of two options; expensive trendy homes/apartments with the bars, shops, parks, etc. nearby or low income neighborhoods where there is a fear of crime, plight, etc.

Well, I disagree. I look at homes for sale in a variety of urban neighborhoods on a weekly basis and there's a much wider range out there than the two groups you're trying to shoehorn everything into.

Do I need to start linking to examples? ;)

Posted 7 months ago #
myliftkk
Columbus, OH
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I think part of the problem is people's expectation of finding the perfect place within a ridiculous short timeframe. Finding a place that is the right size, location, and price takes no small amount of searching, and researching, because the best options move quickly and don't come along often.

Posted 7 months ago #
peter
Arena District
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I want to revise my list:

1. Good location
2. Low price
3. Large size
4. Availability
5. Good condition

Pick 4.

Posted 7 months ago #