Market Actors' Views on Urban Family Living: Informing Urban Planning and Place Marketing in Preparation for Urban Transitions

Cities want to attract young families as residents instead of losing them to the suburbs. This asks for profound and specific understanding of the housing-related needs and expectations of those families desiring urban living. The article presents and discusses these needs and expectations, focussing on social and environmental issues, as seen by different market actors with regard to a major urban transition area in Basel, Switzerland, a typical middle-sized western European city. We used the exploration parcours technique, which allows for what is called “information acceleration” including an in-depth encounter with different scenarios of urban design before responding to a questionnaire on urban family living (N = 80). The results indicate that housing suppliers underestimate young families' demand for participation, for the recognition of children's needs, and, to a large extent, for high environmental standards.