The monikers are many: Generation Y, Echo Boomers, GenMe, the Net Generation, RenGen, and Generation Next. One name that appears to be gaining currency is “Millennials,” perhaps as a way to better differentiate the current generation from its predecessor, Generation X. Millennials are those individuals born between 1982 and 2002, give or take a couple of years (Howe and Strauss 2000, 2007). They represent a generation that began to spill onto college and university campuses at the turn of the millennium and have already had a subtle—and sometimes not so subtle—impact on campus space. Millennials now influence space planning, design, and construction and will continue to transform higher education as they return to campus as faculty and staff.

Generations in Perspective

The Baby Boomers have garnered much of the press in recent years given their sheer numbers, although we were clearly reminded by Tom Brokaw of the incalculable contributions of the G.I. or “Greatest” Generation. How do the Millennials fit into the historical constellation of generations? Although an entire generation cannot be uniformly categorized, it is clear that generational cohorts have some values and traits in common given their shared social and historical experiences. The dividing dates between cohorts are not rigid—and, indeed, individuals on the generational “cusps” share traits from neighboring generations—but there is rough agreement regarding how  

Persis C. Rickes. 2009. Make Way for Millennials! How Today's Students are Shaping Higher Education Space. Planning for Higher Education. 37(2): 7–17.