An increase in apartment construction that began in 2012 shows no signs of abating thanks to the Millennial generation’s attraction to urban, mixed-use communities, says Rob Vogt, a national real estate expert and ULI Columbus Advisory Board member in a recent article in the Columbus Dispatch.

Young adults who are saddled with college debt and staying single longer as well as empty nesters seeking to downsize are driving demand for pedestrian-friendly, mixed use neighborhoods with restaurants, shops and entertainment amenities, adds Vogt, partner at Vogt Santer Insights, a real estate research firm. This trend is a dramatic departure from the past when demand for single-family detached homes in the suburbs drove development.

The article underscores the importance of insight 2050, a public-private initiative designed to help communities proactively plan for development and population growth that is expected to be dramatically different from the past. Columbus 2020, ULI Columbus, and the Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission formed a partnership to complete the effort.

insight 2050 allows communities to assess the impact of various growth scenarios on factors, including transportation, energy and water consumption, public health, local services and household budgets.

Written By: Cheryl Pentella, ULI Columbus Communications Chair

insight2050 was made possible with funding from the Federal Highway Administration as well as Columbus 2020 and ULI Columbus, with support from L Brands Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Derrol R. Johnson, and Gertrude E. Kenney funds of The Columbus Foundation, Casto, Continental Real Estate Companies, and Easton Community Foundation