University of California Transportation Center

Planners and others have proposed developing high-density residential nodes around transit stations to reduce auto dependence and encourage transit use. Such nodes, the argument goes, would provide more patrons for the transit system, more shoppers for nearby stores, and more of a community for the residents. However, such high-density housing runs counter to the assumed American preference for low-density, detached homes. This study investigates the relationship between residential density and housing satisfaction. It also examines the extent to which other factors, such as proximity of the residential development to transit and respondent background variables, influence thier relationship.