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When one talks about “quality of life” in the San Francisco Bay Area, can one size fit all? It’s doubtful, when one considers the geographic, socio-economic, and political divisions that carve the Bay Area up into vastly different places and ways to live.

Chuck Underwood, generational researcher and author, visited with The Real Story in February, and made us aware that the psyche of Americans today is shaped by the key events of their early years, and creates “generations” within our culture. What surprised many of our readers and listeners the most about what Chuck had to say was that quality of life—and key values—vary so widely among the generational groups. Interestingly, the Boomers, who have influenced social and political change since their adolescence in the 1960’s, are now the senior managers at the helm in California and all over the country. It seems like a good idea to ask: “What happens when the Counter Culture becomes The Culture?”—especially now that this largest demographic group, which ushered in the civil rights movement, the feminist movement and the anti-war movement is now sitting in Congress and on Wall Street. Is the Me generation going to make good decisions for the We generation? Their children—called the Millennials—resemble them in sheer numbers, and in their attitude that they can create change. Their idea of change is greener, cleaner and more technology-based than their predecessors, and their drivers will have an enormous impact on the kind of homes and communities we live in.

Another aspect of quality of life are the “qualities” that make up one’s home life experience. The Real Story received some wonderful insights on looking at landscaping as more than a “labor of lawn” from Linda Gates, from Gates and Associates. Architect David Johnson, West Coast Studio Director for William McDonough + Partners, opened the door for a discussion about why quality in a home is more important than space, and how the younger buyers expect green, sustainable homes—not as an option or an upgrade, but as a value standard integrated into every home’s design.