Trading in: More Americans Are Willing to Give up Living Space, Driving for Walkability

Over 50 percent of Americans polled in a new National Association of Realtors survey said they would accept living in neighborhoods with smaller properties, if they were then able to walk, rather than drive, to stores and restaurants.

Generationally, the desire for walkability is strong in the oldest and youngest groups polled -- 55 percent of people born before 1944, and 62 percent of millennials. “The desire for walkable communities is becoming more deeply rooted,” Hugh Morris, manager of smart growth programs for NAR, told Realtor.com.

In 2015, only 49 percent would have made the trade-off of living in a condo, apartment, or townhouse in order to be in a walkable community.It's the first time the number has gone over the halfway mark since NAR started doing these surveys a decade ago. Are Americans falling out of love with their automobiles?

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