Often it's not a matter of want but need. Of course many (but surely not all) people would _like_ to live in a single family home near a job center, great civil

Often it's not a matter of want but need. Of course many (but surely not all) people would _like_ to live in a single family home near a job center, great civil services with well-paying jobs but it's just not going to happen for everyone. So most have to compromise and prioritize. If you're lucky, doesn't mean you can't have it both ways but it's just not in the cards for everyone. So most people have a choice, good job and maybe slightly higher standard of living in the city or a house further (or far) out with lower chances of good employment. Also depends on the definition of "high-rise", the ones shown in the article are 5-6 stories and not 20+ soviet- or banlieue-style "blocs". Many nice, safe but not necessarily very cheap parts of Berlin are in that style for example. Plenty of safety and families, just not as much space as a proper SFH.