It's always been the case that people of like minds tend to live in close proximity. We've had ethnic communities and neighborhoods for as long as there has been a United States. Some communities have large concentrations of people of similar backgrounds, orientations, religions, or politics. Oakland or San Francisco come to mind here. These clusters of people have just evolved over time, sometimes driven by economics, sometimes by choice.
Now there appears to be a growing trend among developers to plan communities based on identifying cultural trends and beliefs. Values-based building, if you will. The Washington Post has a fairly lengthy article about Ladera Hills in Orange County, California. While other developments along these lines are mentioned, Ladera Hills is the furthest along in refinement of this targeted building. There are four separate distinct communities inside the development. Ranging from Covenant Hills for "traditionalists" to Tearramor for "cultural creatives".
But is this just going to bring even more balkanization to America? Can developments based on political beliefs be far behind?
I don't think I like this trend.
Thanks for pointing this one out. Food for thought on the real estate beat.
I’d be insulted if a builder asked me such intrusive questions about my religious and political beliefs. And the answers will doubtless go into some marketing database to be used again and again. Reducing people to labels in order to better sell to them.
There’s talk of an all Catholic City in Florida, east of Naples.