Leverkusen, 24.05.2022 – Neighborhoods are the future of urban development. People favor precisely those qualities in neighborhoods that make them sustainable: short distances and good public transport connections, a secure local supply and plenty of green spaces. Ecological criteria for construction and energy supply also play a key role – in short, it’s the mix that makes the difference. There was surprisingly high approval for multi-generational living. This is the result of a survey conducted by the opinion research institute Forsa on behalf of Cube Real Estate.

The city lives in its neighborhoods. Catchphrases such as “the villageization of the city” point to the trend towards creating lively, mixed-use districts with social diversity and space for different lifestyles, life phases and working methods. Neighbourhood-based solutions also create synergies in the areas of energy supply, mobility and digitalization. Urbanization is progressing both globally and in Germany. Attractive neighborhoods make it possible to live in a 15-minute city.

But is this mix just as attractive to people in the city? Cube Real Estate commissioned the Forsa research institute to conduct a survey to analyze which qualities and offerings of a neighbourhood are particularly valued and accepted. Around 1,100 people in cities with more than 200,000 inhabitants took part in the survey. The respondents were first given a definition of a neighborhood in words and pictures “as a coherent ensemble of buildings that combines the uses of living, working, leisure and shopping”.

Of those surveyed, 11% are either residents of a neighborhood themselves or regular users, for example for shopping or work. The remainder are interested in living in or using a neighborhood.

Public transport and bicycles before cars

At the top of the list of criteria for the quality of a neighborhood is a good connection to public transport: 98% consider this to be “very important” or “fairly important”. In the context of mobility, almost two thirds of respondents would also use car or bike sharing – with the younger generation (18-29 years) being significantly more open to this (73%) than the older generation (60+) (52%).

Bicycle parking spaces are also more important to respondents (85%) than parking spaces for cars including e-charging stations (77%). Three-quarters favor district garages, meaning that less space is used for stationary traffic in the district itself. A good highway connection is only important for 37%. In line with this, “high volume of traffic” is the top taboo in the neighborhood with 79%.

Retail and gastronomy are the most important offers in the neighborhood

Neighborhood green spaces are “important” for 96%. Significantly more women and the 60+ generation consider green spaces on their doorstep to be “very important”. Although 62% also want tenant gardens, only 20% consider the option of urban gardening to be “very important”.

94% of respondents stated that a central location and short distances were “very important” or “fairly important”, with women and the over-60s prioritizing this more than men. In line with this, retail and gastronomy were held in the highest esteem among the potential offers and services in the neighborhood at 93%. Here, too, women and best agers tend to put a cross next to “very important”. The under 29s find community spaces, sports facilities and joint events significantly more important than the older generation.

“Coworking is also an offer that respondents under the age of 29 find significantly more important (53%) than older adults (24%),” explains Moritz Laufer, Team Leader Research and Acquisitions & Sales at Cube Real Estate. “That hardly surprises us. Many over-60s have already retired from working life. For the younger generation, flexible working is more natural and overlaps with the topics of work-life balance and digitalization.”

More rent for sustainability, but not for digital infrastructure

The topics of “renewable energies” and “sustainable building materials” also score more highly among younger people (18-29 years) and women of all ages. More than two-thirds of those under 29 would also be prepared to pay EUR 1 rent per square meter of living space to take sustainability aspects into account. Among the 60+ generation, the figure is 45%. While half of respondents would be willing to pay more for attractive mobility solutions, only 29% would be willing to pay more for digital features.

“It is striking that only 28% of under 29-year-olds are prepared to pay a digitalization premium, compared to 39% of 30-44-year-olds,” explains Moritz Laufer. “We assume that for the younger generation, having a digital infrastructure is a matter of course and not an add-on.”

93% rely on multi-generational living

Mixing suits the neighborhood – from the perspective of the respondents right down to the residential structure. A full 93% were in favor of a mix of generations in multi-generational living. And that’s not all: 75% of respondents stated that they actually wanted to actively participate in the interaction between the generations in this form of housing – an important prerequisite for the success of the model. For as many as 73%, a multi-generational concept would also be a positive criterion when looking for a home. But here too, enthusiasm varies. Women and best agers are more in favor of a mix of generations.

Summary

“The results of the survey confirm that we are on the right track with our understanding of the development of a neighborhood, but we have also learned some new things,” comments Tilman Gartmeier, Chairman of the Management Board. “We are very positive about the fact that the criteria that make a neighborhood sustainable and vibrant are at the forefront: Public transport connections, green spaces, short distances, good local amenities and sustainable energy and building materials. The results also show that the traditional distribution of roles between the sexes is still very much in evidence – for example in the weighting of retail offerings or green spaces with playgrounds. It is hardly surprising that the older generation is not so familiar with sharing offers. However, we were surprised by the fact that digitalization does not seem to be as interesting in terms of willingness to pay as sustainability in construction and operation.”