Why we keep building studios and one-bedrooms

In this episode, Aaron welcomes real estate developer Bobby Fijan to discuss one of the most overlooked crises in American urban life: the dramatic decline of children in major cities. Once filled with kids playing in the streets, neighborhoods in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and beyond are now increasingly childless. Bobby and Aaron explore the causes—from Richard Florida’s influential “creative class” vision that reshaped city priorities, to financial incentives driving developers to build studios and one-bedrooms instead of family-sized apartments, to skyrocketing private-school costs and the loss of family-friendly infrastructure.They also examine why this matters: cities are engines of opportunity and culture, but forcing ambitious young people to choose between career growth and starting a family is a societal failure.

Bobby shares his vision for “baby maybe” housing, practical ways to make cities welcoming for young families again, and why a biblical image of elderly people watching children play in the streets should inspire modern urban planning. The conversation ends with a provocative look at how cities have become extraordinarily dog-friendly—at the expense of being kid-friendly.If you care about the future of America’s greatest cities, this is a must-listen.

CHAPTERS
(00:00 - Intro & Welcome Bobby Fijan)
(00:55 - The Collapse of Children in Big Cities)
(03:17 - Why Kids Disappear After Age 5 (And Now Even Younger))
(04:31 - Richard Florida and the Rise of the Creative Class)
(07:13 - How Cities Catered to Young Singles—and Forgot Families)
(10:55 - The Insane Cost of Private Schools in Cities)
(12:47 - Decline of Catholic/Parochial Schools)
(14:22 - Why Childless Cities Matter)
(17:48 - Economic & Cultural Hubs Need Families Too)
(19:45 - Texas Cities vs. Legacy East Coast Cities)
(23:35 - Why We Keep Building Studios & One-Bedrooms)
(26:23 - Financialization of Housing & Developer Incentives)
(28:28 - Introducing “Baby Maybe” Housing)
(31:29 - How to Fix the System (Fair Housing, Subsidies, Vision))
(36:36 - Dogs, Kids, and the Future of Urban Life)
(46:47 - Closing Thoughts)

BOBBY FIJAN LINKS:
🐦 Twitter/X: https://x.com/bobbyfijan

CONNECT & FOLLOW AARON RENN:
🐦 Twitter/X: https://x.com/aaron_renn
🌐 Newsletter - In-depth cultural analysis: https://www.aaronrenn.com/

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
📖 Richard Florida: The Rise of the Creative Class: https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Creative-Class-Richard-Florida-ebook/dp/B07M77X5ZQ/?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=theurban-20