Adolescents as future housing consumers: a study of housing aspirations

Abstract

The research looks first at the process of urban growth, in an attempt to establish a residential framework. By then relating urban growth and the housing market to the physical situation enables one to determine the choice in housing.The survey methodology establishes the use and nature of the questionnaire and the priority evaluation game which was developed to obtain the adolescents' housing priorities. The data collected from the survey of the adolescent sample is analysed enabling us to explore the attitudes of the future consumers. The research highlights the lack of information on housing preferences.The findings illustrate what is referred to as "conventional wisdom ". The desire is for owner- occupation and the detached or semi -detached house with a garden. And although the findings do not show a complete rejection of the city, they do indicate a widespread desire to move to suburban areas. This urge for suburban life is not limited to the middle class, it is representative of all social classes. If the results are indicative, the movement to suburban areas promises to continue through the next few decades. Once the move to suburbia has been made the pressure to stay there is very great.We cannot continue to encourage home -ownership and a surburban way of life that is reinforced by the cultural norms and propogated by the media then deny access to our adolescents. We are in danger through our economic situation, of long term unemployment amongst adolescents, of creating a dangerous situation that could erupt if prolonged - a social explosion