Let's set a baseline of understanding here first.
Does every American want to live in a walkable neighborhood in a smaller home or attached dwelling with easy access to transit, jobs and amenities? No.
Is there a massive gap between the demand for housing in walkable neighborhoods and what the market is able to provide? Yes. Absolutely, and this is the basis for any discussion on increasing walkable, infill housing supply.
The Demand
According to the National Association of Realtors 2023 survey looking at community and transportation preferences of Americans, a strong preference for a tradeoff between smaller housing types and walkability with larger lots in auto centric suburbs is realized. 79% of survey respondents felt it was either somewhat or very important to their choice of where to live next that they be "within an easy walk of other places and things in a community, such as shops and parks." This continues a similar trend of stated preference of respondents going back to 2017.
Respondents were also asked whether they preferred to live in; "Community A: Houses with large yards and you have to drive to the places where you need to go," or "Community B: Houses with small yards, and it is easy to walk to the places you need to go." 56% of respondents chose Community B, in walkable proximity to places they need to go. This is consistent with past years surveys placing a similar response between 50% and 56% of respondents.
A 2022 survey conducted of Main Street Directors across America conducted by Main Street America's research arm found that 75% of Directors surveyed stated there was "not enough housing to accommodate those who want to live in their districts." The cause of this housing supply shortage varies greatly based on the situation on the ground in a given region but 3/4 of all directors recognized the demand to live in their walkable, amenity rich district outpaced the supply of available housing in their neighborhoods.
The Supply of Walkable Housing
While demand is a fairly easy metric to track and a number that has held fairly consistent for a decade or more, available supply of walkable housing is a bit more nuanced to fully understand. One analysis by real estate development firm Culdesac found that about 8% of Americans currently live in a place with a Walk Score of greater than 70.
This summer, an analysis by Voronoi of the EPA's National Walkability Index, a nationwide data source that ranks block groups based on their relative walkability, found just 11% or 35 million Americans live in an area with strong walkability rankings.
In numerous regions across the country, much of the walkable housing supply was established before World War II. However, efforts to limit housing growth and accommodate the rise of automobiles in the 50s, 60s, and 70s resulted in a surge of sprawling housing construction and a decline in infill housing development. Today, as we strive to fulfill the increasing demand for walkable housing, we face obstacles within our regulatory codes that largely hinder the creation of housing in walkable neighborhoods in many areas. To achieve our walkable housing objectives, significant land use reform must be considered in vast portions of the country. I wrote earlier this year about why this rethink is so crucial for Massachusetts.
The Price Premium on Walkabilty
According to Smart Growth America's recent survey "Foot Traffic Ahead" released in 2023, they found the price premium for walkability in major metro areas "averages 34% for for-sale housing and 41% for multifamily rental apartments." According to SGA; "these premiums signify two sides of thriving walkable areas: on the one hand, the market is signaling continued pent-up demand and desire to live in these places, and on the other, they are increasingly unaffordable due to a lack of supply of, and in, walkability.
NAR's 2023 report also showed a willingness among prospective home buyers to place a premium on housing in walkable neighborhoods.
In all discussions about our housing supply, it's crucial to remember that communities nationwide need not just more housing units but a broader range of housing types and sizes at various price points in different locations. Infill, walkable neighborhoods offer numerous social, environmental, and municipal budgetary benefits, which I won't delve into here, but they are important to consider as we explore broader land use and regulatory reforms to facilitate more walkable housing development across the Country. We must strive to align the demand for walkable housing with the available supply and ensure that our regulatory reform efforts address this significant gap in the broader housing supply and demand story.
Jonathan Berk is an urbanist and advocate who’s focused his career on building and advocating for walkable communities with vibrant public spaces, abundant housing choices and robust local small business communities. As the Founder of re:MAIN, he's building a platform to accelerate the production of abundant housing options in walkable, transit-oriented neighborhoods, through innovative, action-oriented, matchmaking programs. Jonathan@remainplaces.com
Comments