How Mixed-Use Communities are Meeting Gen Z's Demand for Connected Living

• Gen Z vibes: Younger generations are starting to buy homes and their preferences are reshaping how we think about master planned communities

• A zone for the Ops: An overhaul to the Opportunity Zone tax rebate has caused the program to become a political tool.

• Battle of the blacklist: Zillow has responded in court to accusations by Compass that its ban on listings that don’t adhere to the MLS's clear cooperation policy.

• Upcoming webinar: Mixed-use projects promise vibrant, walkable neighborhoods—but what does it really take to make them work? Sign up

Perspectives

How Mixed-Use Communities are Meeting Gen Z's Demand for Connected Living

Gen Z and younger millennials are now quietly disrupting conventional real estate trends—no longer chasing McMansions on cul-de-sacs but seeking neighborhoods with walkability, personality, and everyday connection. Surveys from the National Association of Realtors show that about 90% of Gen Z and millennial buyers are willing to pay more to live in walkable communities with nearby shops, restaurants, parks, and transit, and many say they’d pay significantly more. Developers are responding by designing master‑planned communities that mix homes with retail, dining, coworking, parks, and wellness spaces to foster vibrant, lived-in experiences rather than mere housing blocks.

But good design alone doesn’t create community—it takes active engagement. Forward-thinking developers are hiring community engagement teams to organize events, support resident-led initiatives, and build social infrastructure from the ground up. Real-life examples include a Gen Z resident launching a fiber arts club and another building a community Instagram page—demonstrating how connection blossoms when residents are empowered to lead, not just live.

A standout example is Mueller in Austin, Texas—a former municipal airport transformed into a walkable, mixed-use neighborhood with bike lanes, parks, shops, healthcare, and cultural programming. Designed to blend homes, amenities, and public spaces in a pedestrian-friendly layout, Mueller has become a model for how lifestyle-oriented communities attract and retain residents while sustaining long-term demand. For the next generation, buying a house is no longer just about square footage—it’s about choosing a community where they feel connected, engaged, and genuinely at home.

Overheard

The Opportunity Zone Program Has Become a Political Weapon

The GOP's latest overhaul of the Opportunity Zones program, signed into law by President Trump on July 4, 2025, marks a significant shift in federal investment strategy. Dubbed "Opportunity Zones 2.0," the initiative aims to redirect capital from urban centers to rural America, offering up to a 30% tax discount on capital gains for projects held for five years starting in 2027.

This move addresses a glaring imbalance: by 2022, only 8.5% of the $85 billion in Opportunity Zone investments had reached rural areas. By making the program permanent and enhancing incentives for rural projects, the GOP seeks to stimulate economic growth in regions that previously missed out.

However, challenges persist. Rural areas often lack the infrastructure and investment appeal that attract capital, raising questions about the program's efficacy. While the enhanced incentives are promising, skeptics wonder if they will translate into meaningful development without addressing underlying structural issues.

Opportunity Zones 2.0 is also a way for the administration to push more investment into Republican areas, which tend to be more rural. Since the Opportunity Zone program seems to be successful in revitalizing certain areas, it will likely continue to be used as a tool by administrations to help their voting base.

Zillow Is the New Champion of MLSs Everywhere

Zillow has officially responded to Compass’s antitrust lawsuit in Manhattan, calling the claims over its so‑called “Zillow ban” categorically unfounded. The company maintains that any property shown publicly, whether with a yard sign, on social media, or the broker’s own website, should be listed on the MLS and promptly appear on Zillow within one business day. Zillow argues that refusing to do so fragments the market, undermines transparency, and ultimately harms consumers and competition.

Compass, countering, frames the dispute as more than a policy disagreement, it’s battling an unfair monopoly. Their “three-phase” private‑exclusive listing model gives sellers more descretion over how they can market their home. Punishing sellers for using private listings is an anticompetitive act. They accuse Zillow of wielding monopolistic power to force agents into Zillow’s ecosystem and exclude private listing practices.

Zillow has become the gate keeper of the concept of a multiple listing service. If the court upholds the Clear Cooperation Policy, the long‑standing MLS rule requiring that any home publicly marketed must be entered into the MLS within one business day, it will effectively cement the need for a local listing service. If the court finds that the practice of policing public listings is anticompetitive, it will erode the power of paying for a listing service and open up the door for alternative to emerge.

Technology

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