The Future of Suburban Living
Is the Traditional Home Obsolete?
From sprawling alleys to walkable main streets, suburbia is in the middle of its biggest makeover in generations. New data show that as of February 2025, 25% of paid working hours in the United States take place away from traditional workplaces—up from just 4.8% in 2019—underscoring that hybrid and remote work patterns are here to stay. Meanwhile, younger buyers are more willing than ever to trade backyard size for proximity to shops, transit, and offices, with 90% of Gen Z and Millennials saying they’d pay more to live in a walkable community. Yet the return-to-office mandate issued by President Trump on January 20, 2025, threatens to reverse some of these gains by forcing federal employees back to their duty stations full-time.
We’ll analyze how emerging federal policy shifts to explore how suburban living may evolve—and what it means for homebuyers, planners, and communities across the country.
Exploring Trends Moving Away from Suburban Sprawl to More Compact, Mixed-Use Developments
The post-war blueprint of endless single-family lots and separated commercial strips is giving way to a more nuanced model that embraces density without sacrificing greenery. Suburbs are reinventing themselves as “new cities,” integrating housing, retail, offices, and parks into self-sufficient, walkable districts. Schaller’s research confirms that suburban areas have historically functioned as part of a “polycentric metropolis”—multiple job centers and downtowns radiating outward since the 1920s—but the pandemic has supercharged this trend by reducing the “cost of distance” through remote work and digital connectivity.
Developers are repurposing underused strip malls and parking lots for mixed-use infill, while local governments in growth-oriented metros like Nashville and Austin are easing zoning barriers to allow townhomes and low-rise apartments in traditional single-family neighborhoods. As more Americans work from home even a few days a week, demand is rising for suburbs that offer daily necessities—and occasional office space—within a short walk or bike ride.
The Debate: Pros and Cons of Single-Family Zoning in Modern Urban Planning
Single-family zoning, born in the early 20th century to segregate industry from residences (and often to enforce social hierarchies), now stands accused of stifling growth and equity. Some experts argue that outdated zoning codes—mandating large lot sizes and banning accessory dwelling units—will hobble the “live/work/play” paradigm that modern suburbs crave. Critics say these rules limit supply, inflate home prices, and reinforce socioeconomic segregation, while proponents claim they preserve neighborhood character, privacy, and open space. Schaller’s analysis notes that metro areas unconstrained by strict land-use laws tend to have lower home prices than those that restrict outward expansion, preserving affordability through healthy market competition.
The “missing middle” housing movement advocates for duplexes, fourplexes, and cottage courts to bridge the gap between single-family homes and large apartment towers. Balancing gentle density with context-sensitive design is emerging as the key to revitalizing suburbs without sacrificing the qualities that drew people there in the first place.
Evolving Preferences Among Millennials and Gen Z Buyers
For younger generations, the traditional yard-centric dream has given way to a vision of community and convenience. The National Association of Realtors finds that 90% of Gen Z and Millennial respondents would pay more for a home in a walkable neighborhood. Other surveys report that 69% of Gen Zers and 55% of Millennials now prefer townhomes or apartments closer to shops and transit over detached single-family homes farther from amenities.
While remote work initially fueled a return to suburbs for space and affordability, these buyers seek the best of both worlds: suburban parks and top-rated schools alongside cafes, coworking hubs, and frequent-service transit within easy reach. As attachment to place shifts from lot size to livability, communities that adapt with active streetscapes, mixed-use nodes, and inclusive housing options will gain a competitive edge in attracting young buyers and retaining long-term residents.
Potential Economic and Social Impacts
By rethinking density, suburbs can unlock significant cost savings and social benefits. Schaller calculates that more compact development patterns can divide per-household public service costs—roads, sewers, and emergency services—compared to low-density sprawl. Mixed-use corridors generate local economic activity, with every home sale producing an average of $57,800 in downstream economic output through construction, retail, and professional services.
Conversely, unchecked sprawl strains municipal budgets and exacerbates car dependence, leading to higher carbon emissions and traffic fatalities. Experts warn of an “urban doom loop” when declining office use and falling tax revenues force service cuts, but they also envision a “boom loop” where hybrid work and densification synergize to boost productivity and public finances .
Socially, walkable neighborhoods are linked to better health outcomes, stronger social cohesion, and greater equity. Inclusionary zoning and transit-oriented affordable housing can counteract segregation by income and race, creating diverse communities where families, young professionals, and seniors share amenities. In political terms, suburbs hold roughly 40% of U.S. House seats, making their policy trajectory critical for national elections and governance. As suburbs evolve toward greater resilience and inclusion, they can model solutions for cities and rural areas alike, demonstrating that sustainable growth need not come at the expense of local character.
Trump’s Policy Impact: The Return-to-In-Person Work Memo
On January 20, 2025—his first day in office—President Trump issued a memorandum directing all executive-branch departments and agencies to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to their duty stations on a full-time basis, with only limited exemptions.
Roughly 1.1 million federal employees are eligible for remote work, and this order threatens to reverse the post-pandemic decentralization that propelled suburban and “liminal” city growth. Schaller warns that reducing hybrid options could dampen the “pressure valve” effect that outward expansion provides for high-cost urban centers, potentially slowing the dynamic of market-driven affordability that has kept housing prices in many metros lower than in European and Asian counterparts.
Moreover, a mass return to offices may re-energize downtown amenities—restaurants, shops, and coworking venues—while reducing demand for home offices and satellite coworking hubs in suburbs. How long this policy endures, and whether private-sector employers follow suit, will shape the balance between urban cores and suburbs for years to come.
Rethinking Suburban Design: Inviting a Broader Conversation
The suburbs of tomorrow will combine sustainable infrastructure, participatory planning, and smart technology. Schaller highlights “liminal cities”—micropolitan areas of under 100,000 people—for their potential to absorb hybrid workforces and serve as testing grounds for new development models. Proposals include green corridors linking private yards to public parks, flexible infill housing types approved “as-of-right,” and transit nodes integrated with walkable street grids.
Modular and prefabricated construction can accelerate delivery of affordable units, while community land trusts and co-housing co-ops offer alternative ownership structures. Autonomous shuttles and microtransit could knit suburbs together, reducing car reliance and parking footprints. Ultimately, achieving a “New Suburbanism” requires policy reform—eliminating exclusionary zoning, incentivizing adaptive reuse, and investing in broadband and EV infrastructure—alongside cultural shifts that embrace gradual density and shared public spaces.
Join the Conversation
What does your ideal suburb look like? How can we balance the desire for space and greenery with walkability, affordability, and community vibrancy? Share your ideas—zoning reforms, design concepts, or tech innovations—and let’s build the suburbs of the future together.
