Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Car Dependence

Survey: Freedom From Car Dependence Appeals Across Generations

4:35 PM EDT on April 30, 2014

When it comes to what Millennials and Baby Boomers look for in a community, the generation gap may be overstated.

Source: APA
Source: APA
false

According to a recent survey from the American Planning Association, young adults and their parents both want better transportation options. APA surveyed 1,040 adults ages 21 to 65 with at least two years of college. Of the respondents, 416 were between 21 and 34 years old (Millennials), and 416 were between 50 and 65 (Boomers).

Here are some of the key findings:

Both groups are pessimistic about the national economy and stressed about their personal finances.

Three in four Millennials and 65 percent of Boomers reported believing the national economy was "fundamentally flawed." Furthermore, neither group displayed much optimism that it would improve in the next five years. Both groups, however, were more optimistic about their local economies and personal prospects.

Both groups think community investment is more important than "traditional business recruitment strategies."

Instead of luring employers with tax breaks, 65 percent of respondents told APA they would prefer public investment in schools, transportation amenities, and other quality-of-life improvements. This was particularly true of Millennials -- three-quarters of whom responded this way.

Of all of those surveyed, a strong majority preferred community investments like better schools and more transportation options to traditional business recruitment strategies. Image: APA
A strong majority of survey respondents preferred public investments like better schools and more transportation options to tax breaks for companies. Image: APA
false

APA calls this "the new economics of place" and suggests that responding to these preferences is an important and necessary shift in economic development strategy for local governments.

People want more transportation options besides driving, whether they live in the city or the suburbs.

A very small share -- 8 percent of Millennials and 7 percent of Boomers -- said they wanted to live in car-dependent sprawl in the future, even though 41 percent of Millennials and 39 percent of Boomers said they live in that type of community today. That doesn't necessarily mean they don't like living in the suburbs. APA said there was a demand for a range of living spaces -- from rural, urban, suburban and even small towns -- but that respondents indicated a desire for more transportation options, especially greater walkability.

Nearly 60 percent of both Millennials and Boomers said there weren't enough transportation options where they live. And about 80 percent of both demographic groups said convenient alternatives to driving were at least somewhat important to their residential choices.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Dynamic! MTA Could Hike Congestion Pricing Toll 25% on Gridlock Alert Days

The MTA said it had that power, and modeled it in its environmental assessment (see footnote 2 below), but no one ever reported it, until Wednesday.

December 6, 2023

Judge Orders Trial for Hit-and-Run Driver Who Turned Down ‘Reasonable’ Sentencing Offer

Judge Brendan Lantry turns down driver's request for mere probation for killing a delivery worker in 2022. The trial will start in January.

December 6, 2023

Wednesday’s Headlines: Another Big Day at City Hall Edition

Today is going to be another busy day for the livable streets crowd. So get ready with today's headlines.

December 6, 2023

Reporter’s Notebook: Will Eric Adams Ever Publicly Embrace Congestion Pricing?

The governor, the head of the MTA and the city's leading transit thinkers all celebrated congestion pricing on Tuesday as an historic moment while Mayor Adams spent Tuesday failing to live up to it.

December 6, 2023
See all posts