Society > Group Dynamics >
|
Singleton Settlements: The Increase in Single Households |
| Paper ID: |
78 |
Last updated: 18/05/2011 14:09:05
|
Criteria:  |
Impact:  |
Likelihood:  |
Controversy: |
Where: Domestic/National |
When: 0-2yrs |
How Fast: Years |
0
people thought this paper expanded their thinking
|
| Keywords: |
demographics, community, housing, lifestyle |
Summary  |
| Changes in demographics, lifestyles and social structures may lead to further future demand for single occupancy housing. Despite growing in population, the United Kingdom by 2031, 18 per cent of the total population of England is projected to live alone, compared with about 11 per cent in 1997 and 13 per cent in 2006. [1] [2] This may result in changes in the design and feel of urban spaces. Increased single occupancy could lead to a strain on resources, energy use and waste management, and may increase pollution. Also, it may drive urban regeneration. |
Discussion |
The scale of future demand for single occupancy housing, prompted by changes in demographics, lifestyles and social structures, could herald a change in the design and feel of urban spaces, and a change to new forms of social relationships based on a mix of communalism and highly protected individualism.
Single-person households are a worldwide phenomenon. It is estimated that single households account for 11.8 per cent of total households worldwide, accounting for more than 25 per cent of all households in Western Europe, North America and Australasia; below 8 per cent of all households in the Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and only 3.1 per cent of households in Africa and the Middle East. In general, the trend towards single households seems to be closely correlated to culture and living standards. [3]
The average United Kingdom (UK) household size decreased from 2.41 persons per households in 1997 to 2.32 in 2006, and is estimated to decrease to 2.13 by 2031. [1] [2] Single-person households are projected to increase by 163,000 per year, from 6.8 million in 2006 to 10.9 million in 2031, and the increase in one person households accounts for two-thirds of the total increase in the households’ number. According to predictions, singleton households could outnumber any other kind of household by 2031. [1]
The rapid rise in numbers of those living on their own reflects demographic and social structure changes. In the UK, the key factors contributing to the increase in demand for single occupancy housing seems to be the greater individualism and the low unemployment rates observed in the last decade. [4] Other factors that have largely contributed to the single occupancy trends are changes in the attitudes and behaviours towards marriage, migration and ageing population. [1]
In general, there are three main groups of people living on their own: single young professionals, middle-aged divorcees and elderly people. [3] With the ageing of the population, many more elderly people are likely to live on their own after their partner dies. It is estimated that by 2031, 32 per cent of households will be headed by those aged 65 or over, up from 26 per cent in 2006. At the same time, there is an increasing trend of young people delaying marriage. The high levels of divorce, and the breakdown of traditional family values and structures have also contributed to the rise in single households as well as single-parent households. [3] In fact, predictions show that there could likely be a negative change in the number of married couple households, whereas the number of cohabiting couple households is predicted to increase over the next 20 years. [1] Immigration is also projected to increase the overall number of households in England, with nearly one-third of migrants likely to live in single-person households. [1]
A rise in the number of single-person households could put a strain on resources, energy use and waste management, and could increase pollution levels. [5] However, it also has the potential to drive the rejuvenation of inner cities by promoting investment in the existing infrastructure (buildings, transport links) and encouraging regeneration of businesses in the city centres. [5] |
Implications |
To cope with the demand for single occupancy housing, authorities may have to perform a thorough audit of residential space available. In the most desirable locations, there may need to be development of small, compact housing, which builds upwards or downwards instead of outwards, such as blocks of single occupancy flats. However, the arrival of recession has cut back on house building and temporarily put on hold plans for more new housing and development. Nevertheless, analysis of recent house building trends show that newly built flats constituted nearly half of all new build dwellings in 2008/09. In comparison, flats made up less than 20 per cent of all new dwellings in 1998/99. In addition, there were also changes in the size of newly build houses and flats. Whereas in 1998/99 one- and two-bedroom properties constituted just over one-third of all new houses and flats, it has greatly increase in the last decade, and in 2008/09 one- and two-bedroom properties made up nearly 60 per cent of all new dwellings. [2]
Markets for complexes of flats or houses where the people living there have something in common could emerge. Shared residential blocks could take on some of the values of a commune, in which individuals have rights to privacy and space but only within an agreed common structure, and on the proviso that they contribute to communal life. This could mean that extremely small individual dwellings could be tolerated as people have the opportunity to move between them, thereby providing people with the illusion of owning more space.
The rise of single-person households is also creating economic opportunities in a range of sectors, such as providers of online communicators, the construction and entertainment industry, as well as manufacturers of domestic electrical appliances and consumer electronics. [3] [6] In addition, new technologies and home devices may be marketed at single-dwellers, to create a necessary sense of companionship as and when needed e.g. virtual pets and intelligent, interactive home entertainment systems with an A.I. humanistic interface.
Cities and other desirable locations may become saturated with increasing demand for land for housing, recreation and transport. [7] [6] This could drive changes in the structure of cities, such as more transport systems moving underground to free up space. Examples of this type of changes in the transport system include places like Japan, Hong Kong or Singapore. High population density in these countries contributed to the development of a sophisticated transport networks that, in turn, encouraged more people to use public transport system instead of private cars.
Houses could also increasingly be built on reclaimed brown-field sites, and this might lead to a rise in health problems and lawsuits from those who find the sites have dangerous public health problems left as legacies from previous industrial usage though in the UK controls are strict. Meanwhile large retail parks and megastores could dominate the out-of-town suburban green-belt spaces.
Local and central governments as ever may face pressure to tailor housing policy to match demand. House prices could go through repeated price spikes due to short of living space and supply for new housing, further putting affordable homes out of reach for first-time buyers. [6]
In the future, government facing increasing housing demand and energy consumption might consider the introduction of occupancy tax, replacing currently used single occupancy discount. This might help with housing shortages but on the other hand it could reduce the purchasing power of single households. [3] |
Early indicators |
Development of housing and complexes aimed at single households.
Rise in people choosing to live near each other rather than co-habiting or marrying. Or if they are co-habiting, retaining their own separate property as an ongoing source of income and a refuge/option if the relationship does not progress.
Increase in underground transport in favour of overground. |
Drivers & Inhibitors |
Drivers:
Low unemployment rates may drive increased independence, whereas increase in the unemployment rates can substantially reduce the number of people living in single households.
A move towards a more individualistic society.
A decrease in marriage and rise in more fluid relationships.
Desire to get onto the housing ladder.
Ageing of population.
Inhibitors:
Lack of space to accommodate housing.
Reluctance to live in small spaces.
Strength of family structures.
Increased cohabitation before marriage.
Increased marriage.
Serious debt forcing young people in particular to live with their parents for longer.
High house prices acting as a barrier to single people getting onto the housing ladder.
Introduction of occupancy tax for single households. |
Parallels & Precedents |
1970s UK development of apartment blocks to house the maximum number of people in the minimum amount of space. It has been projected that by 2016 at least an extra 1.1million new homes will have to built. [7]
Flexible use of space for individuals and families in cramped urban Japanese apartments.
|
Social Bookmarking |
|
|
Comments |
|
People who viewed this paper also viewed
|
|
|
Sources |
|
Other Sources
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The contents of this paper were provided by the Outsights-Ipsos MORI Partnership. Any views expressed are independent of government and do not constitute government policy. |
|