As oversized homes fall out of fashion, is Junior's private lair disappearing? And is that really so bad?
As the nation's love affair with McMansions continues to wane, what does that mean for our kids? Trulia says that more than a third of the homebuying market now wants a pad under 2,000 SF. Scott Doyon points out the benefits that may be in store for our kids in these smaller homes, including learning to share, cooperate, problem solve, and self-edit. And that's before you get to the benefits of a more connected community. Doyon says:
"I'm a parent so, not surprisingly, I'm always on the lookout for intersections between that and my work in community design. The last time I considered the issue, I was thinking at the level of the neighborhood and exploring how walkable, mixed-use, mixed-product environments help parents combat a host of contemporary child-rearing ills."
"Today I move from the neighborhood to the house and wonder: In what ways are evolving trends in home buying impacting our kids - and our responsibility for raising them?"
Thanks to Hazel Borys
FULL STORY: Smart Growth = Smart Parenting, Part Two
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research