Urban housing: one area generations agree on

As well as prioritizing green space, JLL’s survey uncovered broad consensus across all demographics of the need for multi-generational developments in urban living.

UK cohousing community, Marmalade Lane, provides homes for families, retired couples, and young professionals to live side by side, with the benefit of shared outdoor gardens and spaces that encourage community interaction and socializing.

In some cases, developers are going one step further, bringing different generations back together, under one roof.

In London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Chobham Manor is a new urban neighborhood masterplan with “multi-gen houses” designed to do just that. An independent one-bedroom annex joined to the main house by a shared courtyard provides accommodation for either a grandparent, a student returning to live with their family, a young couple saving to get on the housing ladder or a relative requiring a carer.

While amenities such as concierges, gyms, coworking spaces or clubhouses, may suit some demographics more than others, the need for green space and a sense of community cuts across development type, price point and resident profile.

“It’s clear that investors and residents of all ages now see decent green space as mandatory,” says Latson. “Incorporating it thoughtfully into urban developments both attracts capital and creates the consumer desirability necessary to achieving market rates and fast saleability.”