Abstract
The research looks first at the process of urban growth, in an attempt
to establish a residential framework. By then relating urban growth
and the housing market to the physical situation enables one to determine
the choice in housing.
The survey methodology establishes the use and nature of the
questionnaire and the priority evaluation game which was developed to
obtain the adolescents' housing priorities. The data collected from the
survey of the adolescent sample is analysed enabling us to explore the
attitudes of the future consumers. The research highlights the lack of
information on housing preferences.
The findings illustrate what is referred to as "conventional wisdom ". The desire is for owner- occupation and the detached or semi -detached
house with a garden. And although the findings do not show a complete
rejection of the city, they do indicate a widespread desire to move to
suburban areas. This urge for suburban life is not limited to the middle
class, it is representative of all social classes. If the results are indicative, the movement to suburban areas promises to continue through
the next few decades. Once the move to suburbia has been made the
pressure to stay there is very great.
We cannot continue to encourage home -ownership and a surburban way of
life that is reinforced by the cultural norms and propogated by the
media then deny access to our adolescents. We are in danger through
our economic situation, of long term unemployment amongst adolescents,
of creating a dangerous situation that could erupt if prolonged - a social explosion.
