People don't like to live in dense environments. Apartments and condos suck, people want their back yard.
I presented it in absolute terms because we're talking high-level here. The possibility to commute from reno to santa monica and having lots of people actually doing that are different things. My point was, if that was a 1-2 hour commute, then housing along side that commute would make economic sense, as will many other economic activities. If it is a train, I personally won't mind a 2-3 hour total daily commute, since I can catch up with books,entertainment,etc.. but if it is a drive, that would be too much, and that in essence is one of the critical issues on how this is being thought about. Cars (EV or not) are one of the root causes of the housing problem.
Some people don’t, but many people do - for example, older people don’t want to do yard work - and everyone has to choose between a number of different related things. If you want to live somewhere with culture, interesting local businesses, a healthy walkable lifestyle, etc. the suburban model isn’t economically sustainable. If you want a detached single family house and a large yard, you might trade those amenities for the house you want but it’s definitely a choice with significant costs. The fact that America’s walkable neighborhoods have such price competition suggests that there is a significant underserved market for that even if the preference isn’t universal.
As for that scenario, 1-2 hour commutes are still misery class. Doing it on a train is better, but countless studies have found that a shorter commute increases happiness more than a big house (the amenities don’t matter, you don’t have time to use them!).
Just because you don’t yet understand why people are prioritizing walkable communities over anything else, doesn’t mean reality reflects that. The opposite is true; walkable neighborhoods are expensive because they are in demand. People live in single family housing in the suburbs because they can’t afford to live like Ted lasso.
who said I don't like walkable areas? Single family does not equal "typical american suburb" walkable SFH housing with subways/trains/buses are practical.
Are you saying they love living in apartments? I think most of them live there because of proximity to economic activity, not out of love for apartment living. If manhattan allowed for single-family housing for 1.6M people, how many do you think will refuse that?
I'm saying that the people there like the benefits of living in a high-density area more than they dislike the downsides of apartments.
> If manhattan allowed for single-family housing
If Manhattan allowed for single-family housing for 1.6M people, it wouldn't be Manhattan. It would be Austin or Los Angeles, and the people living in Manhattan clearly don't want that because they haven't moved to those places.
I'm sure there are such people, but doubt they are many. Most people don't like dealing with upstair-neighbor noises, waiting for elevators or walking up long flights of stairs, not being able to make music/tv noise whenever you want, not having space (indoor or outdoor),etc... Not once have I ever heard of a person complain how they wish they could live in an apartment instead of a house. I'm sure it happens, but seeing the topic is about housing strategies for the masses, the views of the majority should be taken into account.
You are in a bubble. People self sort according to their housing preferences in this country due to onerous zoning. People who like to walk around their neighborhood go to apartments, people that dont mind driving everywhere get SFH. Just because there isnt much overlap doesnt mean the other group doesnt exist. I know many people that have happily sold their SFH to move into a downtown condo.
I presented it in absolute terms because we're talking high-level here. The possibility to commute from reno to santa monica and having lots of people actually doing that are different things. My point was, if that was a 1-2 hour commute, then housing along side that commute would make economic sense, as will many other economic activities. If it is a train, I personally won't mind a 2-3 hour total daily commute, since I can catch up with books,entertainment,etc.. but if it is a drive, that would be too much, and that in essence is one of the critical issues on how this is being thought about. Cars (EV or not) are one of the root causes of the housing problem.