With Americans idealizing homeownership and a large need for housing, would the townhome provide the answer to the American Dream?

The new American Dream should be a townhouse — a two- or three-story home that shares walls with a neighbor. Townhouses are the Goldilocks option between single-family homes in the suburbs and high-rise condos in cities…

Instead, developers have found a sweet spot with townhouses. They are cheaper to build. They usually face less “not in my backyard” resistance. And buyers love them. Townhouses have all the trappings of a classic dream home, but they cost less to buy, offer a low-maintenance lifestyle and are more climate-friendly. It’s the American Dream, but with a smaller yard…

Townhouses are becoming more attractive because they almost always cost less than detached single-family homes. In big urban areas, the median sale price for a townhouse is substantially cheaper: $382,000 less in San Francisco, $222,000 less in Los Angeles, $220,000 less in Miami, $190,000 less in Denver, $145,000 less in D.C. and $130,000 less in Phoenix, according to Zillow data from this summer…

Though townhouses have long been perceived as starter homes for young couples who hope to later move to a larger place, developers say that stereotype is changing. Today, townhouses are popular options for many kinds of households — couples with one child, single parents, people who live alone, couples in their 30s and 40s with no kids, and empty nesters in their 50s looking to downsize. People are drawn to the low-maintenance lifestyle and the sense of community. Many people don’t want to isolate themselves in suburban homes where they have minimal contact with neighbors and are fully dependent on a car.

This is an interesting adaptation to fit the priorities of Americans. If a good portion of population want to own a property, apartments and renting are not ideal in the long run. If people want what they perceive to be a good deal, a townhome can be cheaper than a single-family home. If they want a more walkable neighborhood or don’t want to deal with outside work, townhomes can provide options.

At the same time, I wonder how much townhomes have adapted to fit other things Americans want. (This might be in comparison to the rowhouses of past decades mentioned in the article.) How many townhomes have to have garages and/or dedicated parking because American life is still built around driving? How do the interior spaces and the features of townhomes compare to single-family homes (are they built around large kitchens and great rooms, what levels of amenities do they have, etc.)? Where are certain townhomes being constructed – in other words, do the townhomes in wealthier suburban communities look very different than those built elsewhere?

Imagine American suburbs in a few decades that contain a majority of townhomes. Does this fundamentally change suburbia? Does it alter the emphasis on single-family homes? Can townhome neighborhoods be woven together into a broader fabric that reduces reliance on driving? I am curious to see what happens.