Housing pathways, aspirations and preferences of young adults within increasing urban density

Abstract

There is growing recognition within housing preference studies that younger housing consumers are more amenable to compact dwellings. Yet, there remains uncertainty around the drivers of these preferences. In Auckland, the development of a spatial plan emphasizing intensification has attracted opposition from residents, reinforcing a notion that compact housing is largely unappealing. Utilizing a housing pathways approach, we question this notion through examining the housing narratives of Generation Y, a cohort whose preferences are largely ignored in this debate and poorly understood within housing research. This paper highlights the influence of past experiences on attitudes to changing urban environments, providing several themes related to housing experiences that have the potential to influence preferences. We conclude that a process of ‘acclimatisation’ to density is likely as Generation Y become exposed to higher-density housing. However, to encourage positive experiences, compact dwellings must attend to the dynamic nature of contemporary housing pathways and provide quality housing, located where young people aspire to live.

Keywords:

• Housing pathways
• young adults
• urban intensification
• housing choice
• residential mobility
• home ownership

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Simon Opit is a Post Doctoral Fellow at SHORE & Whariki Research Centre, Massey University.

Karen Witten is a Professor of Public Health and Associate Director of SHORE & Whariki Research Centre, Massey University.

Robin Kearns is a Professor of Geography at the School of Environment, University of Auckland.

Notes

1 The acronym ‘OE’ stands for ‘overseas experience’ and is a New Zealand term for a working holiday that can last for an extended period of timer. It is a tradition that has customarily associated with trips to the UK and/or around Europe, but has more recently included countries in Asia.