However, your post was phrased in a way that implied that this was a sub-optimal solution. Could you expand on your reasoning?
What works in other countries does not necessarily work in the U.S. We tend to have low population density and, as a culture, much more strongly value our independence.
Just one concrete example: A three bedroom apartment may come with one or two assigned parking spaces. If three unrelated adults live there and each has their own car, at least one of them will have to routinely park in "guest" parking. Further, in some places, it is quite hard to arrange this at all. The leases are generally intended for a family, subletting may not be acceptable, etc.
In many other countries, living without a car, walking and using public transit, etc. are far more feasible.
There are other issues, I am just trying to come up with something concrete to give as an example of why this does not readily translate from your country to mine. They don't have the same infrastructure, culture, etc. So the same living arrangement in two different places is not necessarily equal in quality of life.
However (just because I found it mildly amusing), you may be interested to know that the United State's population density is actually twice as large as that of New Zealand! In fact, New Zealand's population density is approximately equivalent to that of the U.K and Japan in 500 A.D.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_New_Zealand
The demographics of New Zealand encompass the gender, ethnic, religious, geographic, and economic backgrounds of the 4.4 million people living in New Zealand. New Zealanders, informally known as "Kiwis", predominantly live in urban areas on the North Island.
A little googling suggests that most kiwis live in relatively dense urban areas. I find your wording confusing and perhaps we mean two different things but my general impression is that cities in New Zealand are generally more "urban" than where most Americans live.
What works in other countries does not necessarily work in the U.S. We tend to have low population density and, as a culture, much more strongly value our independence.
Just one concrete example: A three bedroom apartment may come with one or two assigned parking spaces. If three unrelated adults live there and each has their own car, at least one of them will have to routinely park in "guest" parking. Further, in some places, it is quite hard to arrange this at all. The leases are generally intended for a family, subletting may not be acceptable, etc.
In many other countries, living without a car, walking and using public transit, etc. are far more feasible.
There are other issues, I am just trying to come up with something concrete to give as an example of why this does not readily translate from your country to mine. They don't have the same infrastructure, culture, etc. So the same living arrangement in two different places is not necessarily equal in quality of life.
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