01 Oct Mixed Use Neighborhoods – This Study Brings Good News

Builder Online recently shared information about the “Who’s on Board” study, differentiating transit-progressive cities from transit-deficient cities. It revealed that public transit plays a larger role in home buying decisions than we may have realized.

The study found that there is a high, unmet demand for transit-friendly neighborhoods with a mix of housing, retail, and commercial space. 58 percent of survey respondents said their ideal neighborhood contained “a mix of houses, shops, and businesses,” but only 39 percent currently live in that type of neighborhood, indicating a major disconnect between ideal neighborhoods and the types residents currently occupy.

The study also showed that families are just as likely to want this type of community as people without children, meaning public transit does not lose appeal to young residents starting families. Unfortunatley, Boomers are more reluctant to use public transit now than those under 30.

Regardless of age, people from all regions place the greatest value on factors like travel time, proximity, cost, and reliability above safety, frequency, and even Wi-Fi when choosing whether or not to use public transportation.

What we found very interesting is that wealthy Americans ($150,000 or greater salary) are just as likely to use public transit as people with a $30,000 salary.

The bottom line of the study is that mixed use developments have the potential to draw large numbers of people out of their cars and onto public transit. Are you seeing this trend in your city? Share by commenting below!