Most Americans Want a Walkable Neighborhood, Not a Big House

thecallus:

The symbol of American success often involves having the biggest house possible, but our outsized fantasies seem to be shifting. According to a new survey, more than three quarters of us consider having sidewalks and places to take a walk one of our top priorities when deciding where to live. Six in 10 people also said they would sacrifice a bigger house to live in a neighborhood that featured a mix of houses, stores, and businesses within an easy walk.

We are social creatures. You cannot gate the world away - it starves the spirit. We need neighbors, casual encounters, the sound and sight of human life.

This will be the new American dream. Not to lock ourselves away from everyone else on our own parcel of land, but to flourish together. As gas prices continue to climb, people will have to drive less, and will move to accommodate that urge.