An Historical Perspective On A "Better Place To Live"

A "better place to live" has meant different things to different generations of Americans. For many immigrants and city dwellers in the early part of the 20th Century who resided in overcrowded tenements that lacked basic conveniences, a "better place to live" meant a single-family home with a backyard outside the city.

To the post-World War II generation, the step up to a better community and a better life meant a three bedroom/two bath rambler in the new suburbs such as Levittown and similar communities.

From the 1960s to the 1980s, Americans exercised their freedom to choose where to live, opting for ever-larger homes further out in the suburbs, leading to the rise of "edge" and fringe cities from Tyson's Corner, VA to Irvine, CA.

Now, with the nation's population continuing to rise and the country recently experiencing remarkable economic expansion-both of which have lead to robust residential growth from the early 1990s-the definition of a "better place to live" is changing again.

And Home Builders are responding again. We fully understand that Americans are now increasingly concerned about traffic, crowded schools, and the loss of open space. Building better places to live, work, and play has been the guiding principal driving the home building industry for decades-in responding to, not creating-the demands home buyers have for their new homes. Home Builders are responding with our own Smart Growth plans that call for meeting the nation's housing needs in smarter ways. Home Builders are also responding as individuals seeking solutions to the unique conditions in their own markets, including those in New Castle County (DE) and throughout the State of Delaware.

Courtesy: NAHB's Smart Growth Report 1999/2000