The housing crisis has prompted a great deal of speculation over how we think about the homes we live in, the homes we should live in and the homes we will desire in the future. Five urban planners and housing market analysts explore this topic in a New York Times' "Room for Debate' discussion, Redefining What 'Home' Means. The guest contributors explore a range of thought-provoking questions - Where should housing be located? Is this the end of the suburbs, or at the very least, the end of the McMansion?
The discussion was sparked by an assertion from columnist David Brooks that social norms, which favored big houses with 20-foot ceilings, took a dive along with the economy.
But that economy went poof, and social norms have since changed. The oversized now looks slightly ridiculous. Values have changed as well.
As noted in the introduction of the "Redefining" series, some experts think Brooks' assessment is spot-on, while others aren't so sure.
Some urban planners and housing market analysts say that demographic trends back up that thesis: the housing landscape that emerges from the recession, they say, will be driven not only by older empty nesters who don't like to drive at night anymore but also by Generation Y, the millennials who grew up in supersized houses in far-flung suburbs and who want to live differently, at least as long as they are childless. But historians and other experts on sprawl are not so sure.
What do you think? Has the housing crisis redefined our housing norms and values? Join the NYT's discussion or start a new one here.
I remember reading this column by David Brooks and hoping that he was correct ... I rarely agree with Mr. Brooks. However, I think it's far too early to say American norms have changed. A few more years of scarcity may be required before we can claim to have broken the addiction to "bigger is better".
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Michael. I agree that it is too early to tell. Our cultural norms seem to lean heavily towards independence, privacy and space. I read an article a few weeks back about the end of the McMansion and the new interest in smaller homes. I posted this on Twitter and a realtor (@AaronSold) commented that the article did not jive with his experience as a realtor. In his experience, people were still looking for homes with 2500+ square feet. However, I think the current conditions could bring about change and a discussion about the current housing landscape is a starting point.
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