Nation’s Building News:  Vanilla Not a Favorite Flavor of Generation X Home Buyers

What else does the report say, in addition to yesterday’s blog?

A lot of it comes down to affordability and being informality, both of which are related as well.

Informality:  Xers are attracted to places where spontaneous, casual conversation occurs.  These are the well-designed parks, squares, plazas and third places.  The dining table as the communal table is making its way back not only in the home but in

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Nation’s Building News:  Vanilla Not a Favorite Flavor of Generation X Home Buyers

Marketing service consultants and architects summarize their research on what Gen X is looking for in their communities.

Family: “Family” includes close friends, a commitment to fewer divorces and more participation in raising their kids.  Neighborhood-oriented playgrounds, schools and daycare are prioritized.

Neighbors: Friends, not foes.  Sense of community, but without loss of individuality.  See “age of

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As Few As Possible.  The following evidence is from Kennedy Smith, former director of the National Main Street Center and CoolTown Studios associate partner:

“I’ve been surveying the main street management organizations in hot (or cool) historic commercial districts over the past few days to find out what percentage of retail businesses are national retailers. Here’s what I’ve found:“

Manayunk (Philadelphia): 5%
South Street (Philadelphia): 12%
Chestnut Hill (Philadelphia): 15%
Allston

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They know entrepreneurs.  Period.  Here’s proof:

A true economic gardening environment
- 20% State Tax Credits for Iowa Investments
- $60 million available locally; $1.3 billion statewide
- State of Iowa and City of Fairfield - Pro-Economic Development
- Over $200 Million Invested in Fairfield Companies since 1990
- Headquarters City for 50 Companies

Culture and Amenities - CoolTown Entertainment
- Lively Music, Dance and Art Scene
- First Friday Art Walk Featuring 16 galleries
- More

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Fairfield, Iowa.

Fairfield is the 2003 winner of the Grassroots Entrepreneurship Award by the National Center for Small Communities.  Why?  Fairfield businesses have created 2000 jobs in the past 15 years - pretty impressive when your population is just over 9000.

In 1989, the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce sponsored the Fairfield Entrepreneurs Association (FEA) to focus on economic gardening.  In a nutshell, the FEA not only “got it”, they ran with it.

What makes Fairfield so attractive to

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Yep, cool neon sign, great customer service, familiar faces and local charm.  But what about low prices?  Don’t the national chains, RiteAid/CVS/Walgreens have a lock on this?  Kennedy Smith, former long-time executive director of and current consultant to the National Main Street Center, demystifies the myth:

“RiteAid/CVS/Walgreens are a different story. Independent pharmacies can actually operate more efficiently than these guys - their national association has a buying service that, by

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This is at least true if you google ‘beautiful apartments’ - four of the top five results at the time of this publishing are in other countries, namely Europe.

Now, since the point made yesterday is that the most effective way to provide affordable housing is via multi-family, it would seem rather inspiring to find the most beautiful multi-family housing in the world.

What makes them beautiful?  It’s important to understand this from the tenant’s point of view - and that’s a great view,

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First of all, there are people with low incomes, and people with decent incomes who can’t afford homes.  The former deals with government policy/subsidy, the
latter deals with what the private sector produces.

The reality:  If you want to live in a great neighborhood, but can’t afford a 1500 sf home, what to do?  Move somewhere else.  That’s the smallest home you’re going to find in places like Silicon Valley.  If not, move into an ugly garden apartment.

The near future:  If you want to live

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Last night at a presentation by renowned town planner Andres Duany for a new urban neighborhood in Rockville MD, a creative class group of visionary, future home buyers took it upon themselves to independently form a beta community.

Perhaps this community is the first of its kind, especially since it will take two years before they could move into the proposed project, if it is even approved by the city council.  Brandon, Jenny, Hyojung, Kart, Stu, Kamile, Charles, Brian, Hilary, Manny & Andy

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We are evolving into a customer-driven economy, where customers are so well-informed that they’re actually often the best suited to design and develop their own products and services.

Linux, the computer operating system that has all but ended Microsoft’s dominance in the server market, when founder Linus Torvalds sought an alternative to closed, proprietary operating systems and began writing a new one for free, inspiring others to join him via collective volunteering, or crowdsourcing, thus

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