In many parts of the world, and increasingly in SA, young couples are not moving away from urban centres to the suburbs once they have children – and their decision is not always about affordability.
In fact, they will often have the means to buy a bigger home to accommodate a growing family, but choose to buy a bigger apartment rather than a house in the suburbs or on an estate, because they are prioritising quality time with their children over long commutes between work and home.
In many new or regenerated urban environments, there is also the attraction of living just a short distance away from schools, shops, and excellent cultural, social and medical facilities, and being able to save for memorable holidays “in the country” or even abroad.
Naturally, not everyone thinks that this paradigm shift is the best news for children, but those in favour of raising children in the city believe that there are many other potential benefits too, including:
