Where and Why Do Single-Family Neighborhoods in the United States Accommodate More Diverse Housing Types?

In the United States, the composition of housing stock rarely changes much in urbanized neighborhoods where single-family detached (SFD) housing predominates. Nevertheless, the housing stock does diversify in some such neighborhoods. Using multilevel regression models, we analyze the correlates of transitions toward greater housing diversity over ten years. Although most SFD-dominant neighborhoods remained unchanged, approximately 14 percent accommodated more diverse housing types. Proximity to jobs significantly increased the likelihood of diversification. Moreover, jurisdictions with at-large electoral systems were somewhat more conducive to large multifamily developments in formerly SFD-dominant areas, implying that centralized governance structures may reduce political barriers to zoning changes.