Reasonably Optimistic How can cities win back families? This developer has a plan.
Feb 4, 2026
Bobby Fijan, real estate developer and co-founder of The American Housing Corporation, builds factory-produced rowhomes to make family-sized urban housing affordable. He talks about how city design pushes families out, practical family-focused interiors, prefab panel and modular construction to cut costs, zoning and school-centered density, and how families stabilize and enrich neighborhoods.
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Cities Lose Families To A Housing Gap
- Cities often act as a waypoint for young adults but lack starter family housing that enables generational staying.
- That missing "baby-maybe" housing causes churn and undermines civic investment like schools and playgrounds.
Mismatch Between Housing Types And Family Needs
- Developers build many apartments optimized for singles and large suburban homes far away, not mid-size family units in cities.
- That mismatch creates vitality without generational demographic growth in urban neighborhoods.
Reclaim Room Function Over Photo Aesthetics
- Open-concept, oversized kitchens in small urban units waste precious living room needs for families.
- Smaller, purpose-separated rooms unlock more functional family living in dense cities.