ABSTRACT
This chapter examines some of the more prominent sociodemographic changes and diverse living situations in the United States and yet isolated efforts among some housing producers to create a better housing fit for many of these households. As Peter Rowe points out, an important role of normalization in the design and provision of housing of the twentieth century was to promote efficient production and permit standardization wherever possible. The plan and siting of most residential developments respond to living arrangements of "conventional" households—that is, the nuclear family who participates little in daily community life, is economically well-off, and primarily uses the dwelling for domestic purposes only. Home businesses can be a viable component of a household's income package, particularly since this arrangement may provide more flexibility to work around family demands than the locational and time rigidities of wage/salary positions would allow.
