Take a read through this great post by Kaid Benfield on the Ten things planners need to know about the future real estate market. Among other things, Benfield points out that a recent analysis

Suggests that the growth in demand for new housing over the next 30 years will consist primarily of demand for smaller homes on smaller lots, a reversal of the type of demand that fueled sprawl in the late 20th century.

The research Benfield reviews is from a book called Reshaping Metropolitan America, a study that shows a general trend away from larger homes on larger lots and toward more efficient and sustainable use of land in cities. This is data that validates the bedrock principles of Smart Growth Seattle, especially our point that smaller homes are more efficient. We think they also make great neighbors.