Right now yeah I'm happy my young family live in a semi D, but 10 years ago I would have preferred to live in a city apt with a friend or even alone, instead of renting a room in a 4 bed family home with 3 strangers bc it was near the dart to work. And maybe in a couple of of decades my kids will be grown and I'd want to downsize, ditch the car, garden and spare rooms, but still stay in the locality if that's where my kids and support network are.

Much of Ireland just isn't set up for the mix of housing - the only compromise I've seen lately is when housing estates put in a few 2beds or apts, but if I were single or even in a committed couple not having kids, would I want to live surrounded by young families?