Several surveys have documented that most families in the U.S. and many other countries prefer living in single-family homes, detached or attached (e.g., townhouses). What’s the attraction? Here’s one explanation:

“Challenges surrounding building fewer large homes or more multifamily homes mostly relate to policy and societal norms.” - Berrill & Wilson (2022) Decarbonization pathways for the residential sector in the United States

The basic idea being that housing preferences are mainly a matter of social norms. Let’s unpack that, starting with a couple definitions:

Social norms are unwritten rules that are collectively understood, prescribe what people ought (not) to do… - Andrighetto et al (2024) Social norm change: drivers and consequences

Social norm: any of the socially determined consensual standards that indicate (a) what behaviors are considered typical in a given context and (b) what behaviors are considered proper in the context. Whether implicitly or explicitly, these norms not only prescribe the socially appropriate way to respond in the situation (the “normal” course of action) but also proscribe actions that should be avoided if at all possible. Unlike statistical norms, social norms include an evaluative quality such that those who do not comply and cannot provide an acceptable explanation for their violation are evaluated negatively. - American Psychological Association Dictionary

I accept that social norms influence housing preferences. But the appeal of single-family homes can’t be reduced to socially-prescribed rules and standards, because that appeal is also based on experiential payoff and pragmatic concerns - just ask AI Overview:

Families desire multiple bedrooms primarily to provide individual space and privacy for each member, especially as children grow and require more independence. Other reasons include accommodating family size, potential guests, and the flexibility to use extra rooms for various purposes like play areas, home offices, or craft rooms.

Families often desire backyards for a multitude of reasons, including providing safe and enjoyable outdoor play areas for children and pets, offering privacy and a buffer between neighbors, and creating space for social gatherings and outdoor activities. Backyards also contribute to a more natural and relaxing environment, encouraging exploration and fostering a connection with nature.

My theory: to reduce housing preferences to social norms is a way to dismiss these preferences as optional and malleable and therefore an ideal candidate for social engineering. Or the authors of Social norm change: drivers and consequences put it, “norm change can be engineered to promote desired behavioural change” ( Andrighetto et al, 2024). Unfortunately, density advocates seem to hold similar ideas, perhaps the better to ignore what people want and justify coercive measures to make them accept what they don’t want. But is that really necessary to save the planet?

References:

Andrighetto G, Gavrilets S, Gelfand M, Mace R, Vriens E. Social norm change: drivers and consequences. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2024 Mar 11;379(1897):20230023. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0023

Berrill, P., E. J. H. Wilson, et al. (2022). Decarbonization pathways for the residential sector in the United States, Research Square. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1199406/v1