There was an AP article that I read online saying that more apartments are condos are becoming pet friendly. It talked about some of the amenities that these forward thinking properties are offering to pet owners, including off leash dog play areas, cleanup stations, and even pet bath areas.
I believe it is not a change in thinking by management to become more pet friendly. I believe it is motivated strictly by money. If these property owners are having trouble attracting and keeping quality tenants in buildings that have been restricted against pets and their owners, then by allowing pets they are opening the field of potential tenants. After all, current statistics say that over 60% of American households have one or more pets.