Lilly Weinberg, director of community foundations for the Knight Foundation, says her organization constantly seeks out ways to increase the strength of the communities through the promotion of public spaces and improved communication channels between neighbors. After speaking at the most recent installment of SB2, Inspiring Transformation: The Power of Changemakers, she sat down with SRQ.

What changes have seen over time as far where Millenials choose to live? Over the past decade, the major shift we have seen is among young people, so 25- to 34-year-old college graduates. They are moving into the urban core, the downtown areas. That has transformed downtown areas across the country. They want a little bit more of a dense area, but it doesn’t have to be big city. They want diversity. But even more important is that walkability piece.

Are high property values a problem for young professionals that want to live in downtowns? They can be. What we are also seeing is a shift in the way we are building. You see micro-units that are going up. West Palm Beach is putting up some and Miami is putting up some. All the major cities. Of course, those are much more affordable for young people to live in.