New housing development follows the trend of the last 20 years. About 67% of new housing is single-family detached and another 18% is townhomes, duplexes, and similar products. When including existing housing, about 72% is single-family detached in 2050. The average size of a new single-family home in this scenario is nearly 3,000 square feet. No housing units are added in mixed-use buildings and energy efficiency is not improved. Housing is unaffordable because of large lots and big houses. New single-family homes have large yards, which leaves less space for public open space, agriculture, and natural areas.
The chart below describes the acres of new land that are developed by housing type:
The chart below shows the energy efficiency of new homes across scenarios. Higher energy efficiency means higher construction costs, but lower monthly utility costs. Lower energy efficiency means lower construction costs, but higher monthly utility costs: