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size threshold for micro -apartment develop-
<br />ment. However, there are other important
<br />factors to consider, such as the difference
<br />in development costs between wood -frame
<br />and concrete- or steel -framed buildings.
<br />Many local building codes only permit
<br />wood -frame construction for buildings up
<br />to 75 feet tall. Taller buildings also typically
<br />require additional fire safety features. To
<br />finance the leap to concrete- or steel -framed
<br />construction, developers may need to
<br />squeeze more units per floor.
<br />Addressing Community Concerns
<br />Sometimes existing residents will express
<br />concerns about any new project or policy
<br />proposal that will increase residential den-
<br />sity. The most common concerns are related
<br />to traffic, parking, and community character.
<br />Because micro apartments are most
<br />attractive to young professionals with
<br />lower -than -average rates of car ownership,
<br />conventional traffic and parking concerns
<br />may be unfounded. However, the popularity
<br />of on -demand ride services among young
<br />professionals can lead to traffic problems
<br />associated with curbside pickups and drop-
<br />offs. Here, and in areas where the existing
<br />infrastructure is over capacity, it is impor-
<br />tant to evaluate site design, infrastructure
<br />improvement, and transportation demand -
<br />management alternatives before encouraging
<br />or allowing micro -apartment projects.
<br />Often the most productive strategy for
<br />addressing fears about community character
<br />is to keep discussions focused on the objec-
<br />tive physical characteristics of projects,
<br />rather than the demographic characteristics
<br />of potential residents. This can help planners
<br />and local officials identify site and exterior
<br />building design priorities to mitigate aes-
<br />thetic impacts.
<br />If micro apartments are dramatically
<br />smaller than existing multifamily units, some
<br />community members may also worry about
<br />how they may affect potential occupants.
<br />While there is research supporting the idea
<br />that overcrowding negatively affects psycho-
<br />logical well-being, these studies, generally,
<br />focus either on public housing residents or
<br />housing -instable families sharing tight quar-
<br />ters. If this research bears any relevance for
<br />contemporary micro -apartment projects, it is
<br />likely limited to highlighting the importance
<br />of ensuring access to adequate natural light
<br />and guarding against overoccupancy of indi-
<br />vidual units.
<br />REGULATORY BARRIERS TO MICRO
<br />APARTMENTS
<br />Fundamentally, state and local building
<br />codes determine the absolute lower limit on
<br />dwelling unit size through minimum habit-
<br />able space standards. Most state and local
<br />building codes in the U.S. are rooted in the
<br />International Code Council's International
<br />Building Code (IBC). The most recent version
<br />of the IBC stipulates that efficiency dwelling
<br />units in new multifamily buildings must con-
<br />tain
<br />a living room with at least 220 square feet
<br />of floor area (which does not include space
<br />devoted to closets or bathrooms) (§1208.4).
<br />Very few state and local building codes permit
<br />dwelling units smaller than this.
<br />One notable exception is California's
<br />Health and Safety Code, which explicitly
<br />Westminster Arcade in
<br />Providence, Rhode Island, is the
<br />oldest indoor shopping center
<br />in the U.S. In 2013, developers
<br />converted the top two floors to
<br />48 residences, most of which
<br />are sized between 225 and 45o
<br />square feet
<br />authorizes cities and counties to adopt
<br />ordinances permitting efficiency dwelling
<br />units as small as 15o square feet (§17958.1).
<br />Additionally, the International Property
<br />Maintenance Code (IPMC) requires exist-
<br />ing single -occupancy efficiency units to
<br />have only 1zo square feet of clear floor area
<br />of habitable space (§4o4.6). At least one
<br />locality, Grand Rapids, Michigan, uses this
<br />standard to set an absolute minimum size for
<br />new micro apartments (§5.6.o8.B.3.f).
<br />Beyond a building code's habitable
<br />space requirements, many local zoning
<br />codes include provisions that establish an
<br />explicit minimum floor area for dwelling units
<br />of different types. The minimum dwelling
<br />unit size is virtually always more restrictive
<br />SELECT DEMOGRAPHICS OF CITIES WITH ZONING STANDARDS FOR MICRO APARTMENTS
<br />City State
<br />2016 Est.
<br />Population
<br />2010
<br />Population
<br />zolo Density
<br />(pop. / square
<br />mile)
<br />2016
<br />Percentage of
<br />Single -Person
<br />Households
<br />2016
<br />Percentage
<br />of Crowded
<br />Housing Units'
<br />2016
<br />Percentage of
<br />Highly Rent -
<br />Burdened
<br />Households'
<br />Grand Rapids
<br />Hartford
<br />Miami
<br />Oakland
<br />Seattle
<br />Springfield
<br />West Palm
<br />Beach
<br />MI
<br />CT
<br />FL
<br />CA
<br />WA
<br />MO
<br />196,445
<br />123,243
<br />453,579
<br />420,005
<br />704,352
<br />188,040 4,236
<br />124,775 7,179
<br />399,457 11,136
<br />390,724
<br />608,66o
<br />7,004
<br />7,251
<br />30.3
<br />38.8
<br />38.1
<br />32.4
<br />38.6
<br />1.1
<br />3.7
<br />3.o
<br />4.7
<br />2.0
<br />47.3
<br />41.4
<br />54.6
<br />42.1
<br />34.5
<br />167,319
<br />159,498
<br />1,952 37.6
<br />1.0
<br />39.5
<br />FL' 1o8,161
<br />99,919
<br />1,807 39.0
<br />2.5
<br />49.3
<br />1. Housing units with an average of at least 1.51. occupants per room.
<br />z. Households paying 35 percent or more of Income for gross rent.
<br />ZONINGPRACTICE 3.18
<br />AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION I page 4
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