A Canadian Study of Young Adults’ Suburban Ways of Living

Abstract

This thesis contributes to a better understanding of how young adults are living, in regard to the suburban and urban nature of their lifestyles. Specifically, it explores young adults’ ways of living in Canada and are based on Moos and Mendez’s (2015) operationalization of suburban ways of living, rather than looking at suburbs as specific places. The focus of this research is on how suburban the young adult population is according to two indicators: 1) housing types and 2) commute patterns. The purpose of this research is to measure the share of young adults living suburban ways of life over time. The research question to be addressed is how suburban are young adults’ ways of living in Canada after decades of intensification and downtown revitalization in major metropolitan areas.

The thesis also contests the many studies that elaborate on the traditional motion of young adults leaving urban areas to suburban areas. The trends of this research show the slower, or delayed progression to a suburban lifestyle in major census metropolitan areas of Canada. This is an important consideration for the social consequences of perceived gains of “sustainability-as-density”, as explored in this research and based on the work of Quastel et al. (2012). Various local policies should aim to facilitate spaces to satisfy the changing patterns of the young adult population and ensure places are formed with the capacity to accommodate urban ways of living for extended periods of time.

Overall, the research objectives are to: a) explore how young adults live in terms of housing type and commute mode; b) understand the differences in young adult populations in large metropolitan areas; c) investigate the trends over time.