The suburbs were an escape from city life. Now, millennials want them to become more like cities.
Americans in the suburbs want easy connection to third spaces. Developers are responding by building neighborhoods with cafés, shops, and restaurants.
A recent report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) revealed that homebuyers are willing to pay more for access to walkable neighborhoods. These urban planners of suburbia are demanding amenities and conveniences previously exclusive to bustling cities.
For Tony Anderson and his wife, the allure of walking distance to cafés, parks, and shops was a non-negotiable factor when deciding to settle in the suburbs. They chose Summit, New Jersey, a commuter suburb about 22 miles from New York City, despite paying a premium of $1.4 million for a spacious home. The proximity to the town's historic downtown, where they can walk to shops, cafés, and restaurants, made Summit their ideal choice.
The 2026 Community and Transportation Preference Survey by the NAR found that 63% of respondents would pay more to live within walking distance of parks, shops, and restaurants. In a hypothetical scenario, buyers were given the choice between a larger lot requiring more driving and a smaller lot in a walkable neighborhood, 59% opted for the walkable option.
Developers are taking note of this shift in preferences. They are reimagining suburbia with a focus on creating walkable communities filled with third places, such as restaurants, pubs, and clubhouses. These master-planned developments, like Sienna in Missouri City, Texas, offer a wide range of amenities within their boundaries, blurring the lines between residential and urban living.
However, the cost of these walkable communities is a concern, as they often come with a premium price tag, making them inaccessible to the average buyer.
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