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Is Calgary moving toward the extinction of single-family homes?

I suspect the declining economy will shift the mix back to sfh as prices decline and traffic congestion eases.
Not only the declining economy- I think this social experiment of working from home many of us are now pulling is going to change things as well. In addition to heightened scrutiny for crowded/ dense places that will no doubt linger in our society.
 
Residential density doesn’t have that much to do with the pandemic. Look at how well it’s being contained in the dense cities of East Asia. Meanwhile, it’s not like people living in sprawling suburbs don’t go to restaurants, churches, shopping malls, etc.

As for Calgary, it already has a very high rate of SFH for a large city, due to traditional high wages. Lower wages and higher unemployment will bring the city more in line with other large cities with a higher % of apartments.
 
Not only the declining economy- I think this social experiment of working from home many of us are now pulling is going to change things as well. In addition to heightened scrutiny for crowded/ dense places that will no doubt linger in our society.
I've been wondering about this as well, working from home has been great so far, though it's easier to stay motivated in an office setting.
 
As for Calgary, it already has a very high rate of SFH for a large city, due to traditional high wages. Lower wages and higher unemployment will bring the city more in line with other large cities with a higher % of apartments.

Totally agree. Wages are a major factor that I think many folks don't place enough emphasis on when doing the casual comment regarding SFH v. denser living or the Calgary v. city comparison. Calgary's historic wealth - both in absolute amount as well as it's relatively large spread to a bigger chunk of the population due to high volume of high paying jobs - is a key driver in how the city has developed.

Change the proportion of the high-paying jobs to something closer to the typical Canadian city and the housing market will re-balance. Individuals and families with less financial means will fall differently on the generally more expensive houses v. generally cheaper apartments spectrum (as well as the options in between like townhomes). Not everyone, and not overnight but certainly a trend to watch for - particularly in the aftermath of the current crisis and economic fallout.
 

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