ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates whether Millennials will continue to live in dense, urban areas as they progress through the life cycle. One theory is that young adults live in these areas primarily because of their economic constraints and, when they experience socioeconomic mobility, they may want to live in the suburbs and elsewhere. This chapter draws on results from an online survey of almost 600 people aged 18 to 40 in the USA and Canada to provide insight into Millennials’ future location patterns. The authors find that Millennials have higher demand for urban neighbourhoods than previous generations, because more Millennials are spending their young adult years living in urban settings, and living in an urban neighbourhood is a strong predictor of expecting to live in an urban neighbourhood in the future. This trend has implications for planners who are working to achieve smart growth in urban areas.
