Industry study: Americans want smart growth

It appears that market demand for mixed-use, urban neighborhoods is growing — or the industry is getting better at measuring that demand.

An article by Kaid Benfield at the Natural Resources Defense Council summarizes a recent study by the National Association of Realtors, which finds that smart growth is the preferred choice of more than half of Americans. Ten years ago, most analyses put that figure at about a third of Americans.

"Americans decidedly favor walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods, says a new industry study.  In fact, 56 percent of us prefer smart growth neighborhoods over those that require more driving between home, work and recreation.  These findings are from the just-released Community Preference Survey sponsored by the National Association of Realtors."

"Walkable communities were defined in the survey as those where shops, restaurants, and local businesses are within walking distance from homes.  According to the survey, when considering a home purchase, 77 percent of respondents said they would look for neighborhoods with abundant sidewalks and other pedestrian-friendly features, and 50 percent would like to see improvements to existing public transportation rather than initiatives to build new roads and developments.

"The survey also revealed that, while space is important to home buyers, many are willing to sacrifice square footage for less driving. Although eighty percent of those surveyed would prefer to live in a single-family, detached home as long as it didn’t require a longer commute, nearly three out of five of those surveyed – 59 percent – would choose a smaller home if it meant a commute time of 20 minutes or less."