Selling high-density housing in post-suburbia: Between a natural idyll and putting faith in future (re)developments

Source abstract

This paper examines the evolving thematic content of real estate advertising in densifying suburban peripheries, analyzing the interplay between material transformations and imaginations of post-suburban life. Using a longitudinal two-part case study, it analyzes newspaper ads from the 1950s to the early 2000s and content from 95 websites for high-density projects built between 2016 and 2025. Findings reveal enduring themes such as the prominence of nature and leisure, alongside a persistent car-oriented lifestyle, especially in more isolated projects. Projects with better accessibility also blend-in mentions of public transit and appeal to urban lifestyles, suggesting the emergence of a distinct post-suburban aesthetic. In sum, these ads participate in the (re)enchantment of suburbia by linking nostalgic rural idylls to promises of future (re)developments. These findings advance post-suburbia theory by showing how advertising resolves tensions between past, present and future suburban material conditions and imaginaries. Furthermore, unlike previous periods focused on long-term family-oriented financial planning, housing is increasingly discussed as a short-term speculative investment. Indicative of an asset optimization strategy, rentals are also being rebranded as luxury condo-living. This hints at the need to consider how representations of home and place in suburbia are shaped by financialized digital landlordism.