Our residents will come from all age groups and socioeconomic levels, but they will all be people who are aware and concerned about the environment. They will likely already be involved in at least one environmental organization (the Sierra Club alone has 1.3 million members) and will already value an active, healthy lifestyle. A ranking of amenities desired by recent buyers of units in planned communities was published by the Urban Land Institute of Washington, D.C., from a study done by American LIVE Inc. Amenities high on the list included: quiet, low-traffic area; lots of natural, open space; walking and biking paths; community controls over architectural styles and lot sizes; gardens with native plants; convenience-oriented retail stores; outdoor swimming pool; interesting small parks. Bicycle City will be all of that.

Outdoor Enthusiasts

Bicycle City will also be attractive to the millions of people who are avid outdoor enthusiasts. In 2006, 159 million Americans participated in outdoor activities, spending $33 billion in retail sales. In a recent Harris Interactive survey for the Outdoor Industry Association, participants in human powered outdoor activities span age groups (43% are between 16-34, 57% are 35+) and are split evenly (53% male, 48% female) across gender lines. The average participant is 43 years old, has children and has a higher average household income ($50,700) than the general population. Bicycling is America’s favorite outdoor activity, with 38.6% of Americans participating in nearly four trillion outings in 2004. The Bicycling Recreation economy adds hundreds of thousands of jobs and contributes billions to the national economy. (Source: Outdoor Industry State of the Industry Report; Active Outdoor Recreation Economy)

Retirees

Active retirees will also welcome the lifestyle at Bicycle City. As Baby Boomers look toward retirement, they will seek a lifestyle that includes opportunities for healthy activities, as well as smaller, less expensive and more efficient homes. A retirement trend is to downsize to a smaller, less expensive, more energy efficient home, in a region where the climate is pleasant most of the year. Bicycle City is the perfect place for retirees. The car-free environment and mixed-use design of Bicycle City will help seniors to maintain their mobility and independence, something that could be difficult in a traditional suburban community. Our hope is that many of these senior residents will work as volunteers in the Bicycle City community.