Changing Demographics, Lifestyles, and Tech Will Shape the Future of Housing

Experts predict these changes will also affect land-use planning and regulation, redrawing patterns of urban growth, new development, and redevelopment in cities and suburbs.

The Washington Post reports that 48 percent of adults in the U.S. are single, 32 percent of young adults live at home, 27 percent of children live with a single parent, and 22 percent of Americans will be over 65 in 2050. The real estate market is adapting to new demographics as differing market segments include those aging in place, single-parent families, multi-generational households, and households with someone who is disabled.

Long-standing, out-of-date zoning ordinances continue to determine the nature and scope of physical growth and housing, often impeding real-estate-development innovation and market-responsive changes. In many jurisdictions, zoning laws and regulations reflect demographic and cultural norms going back generations.

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