A new survey asks: “If you were moving to a new home, would you be willing to spend more to live in a community where you could easily walk to parks, shops, and restaurants?” Here’s how people responded.
And at the same time they’ll pay extra for large lots and seclusion… Things that make walkability difficult or impossible.
The survey does make a distinction between a house with a small yard that’s walkable vs a house with a large yard that isn’t, but that doesn’t paint a full picture of the trade-offs here.
A reasonable length survey will never “paint a full picture”. Maybe what they’re trying to show is that there are a lot more people who value walkability more than is currently assumed. In most of the US you can either chose a super high density walkable area in a condo tower or a house in a car based suburb. It’s possible to design neighborhoods that are walkable and can provide a reasonable amount of private outdoor space, and what this shows is people would be willing to pay for it!
And at the same time they’ll pay extra for large lots and seclusion… Things that make walkability difficult or impossible.
The survey does make a distinction between a house with a small yard that’s walkable vs a house with a large yard that isn’t, but that doesn’t paint a full picture of the trade-offs here.
A reasonable length survey will never “paint a full picture”. Maybe what they’re trying to show is that there are a lot more people who value walkability more than is currently assumed. In most of the US you can either chose a super high density walkable area in a condo tower or a house in a car based suburb. It’s possible to design neighborhoods that are walkable and can provide a reasonable amount of private outdoor space, and what this shows is people would be willing to pay for it!