The 1950s might have been a good decade for traditional families comprising a mom, a dad and, let’s say, two or three children.

But today, the family that gathers around the kitchen table comprises a diverse make-up of individuals that include common-law couples, a stepfamily, gay couples, single parents, and a household with grown kids and grandparents, according to the 2011 census.

It’s perhaps no surprise that families have grown smaller.  In 1961, the average family size was 3.9. In 2011, that number shrank a full percentage point to 2.9. In fact, the most typical family in the census was a couple with no kids, which represented 44.5 per cent of Canadian families.

This may surprise you but did you know one of the fastest growing family sizes are those Canadians that live alone? One-person households comprise 27.6 per cent of all homes. The census showed that there are more people living alone in Canada than there are couples with children.

So what does the country’s shrinking family size mean for real estate? Believe it or not, but in the early 2000s, Canadians lived in some of the world’s biggest dwellings, even though the typical family size was one of the world’s smallest. Those monster homes of the 1990s will ultimately fade away or exist only for the very wealthy. House sizes are getting smaller and less elaborate. According to the National Post, the post-2008 U.S. housing crisis resulted in the elimination of mud rooms, home theatres and outdoor living rooms. In Canada, builders are witnessing the slow demise of walk-in closets and hobby rooms. Living rooms, dining rooms and kitchens have morphed into great rooms. And, unless you’re Donald Trump, forget large landings and grand sweeping staircases.

McGill architecture professor Avi Friedman told the newspaper that homebuyers are physically and psychologically ready to live in smaller spaces. He predicts more growth in condo towers and row houses. And as baby boomers retire, moving out of their larger suburban dwellings, he foresees apartments, duplexes and laneway houses in their place.

According to the Toronto Star, Vancouver is the leader in Canada with more than 1,000 downsized laneway homes, many of which are located where unattractive garages one stood. The building concept, which was approved by Vancouver in 2009, allows for smaller homes to be built on pre-existing lots, typically in backyards. They are named laneway houses because they open onto back lanes.

In Vancouver, where single-family house prices have skyrocketed well beyond affordability, the city receives 50 new applications each month for laneway houses, says the National Post.

While laneway houses are a tougher sell in Toronto, proponents believe this form of small-scale housing is an affordable means to help people live near transit.