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USE -SPECIFIC STANDARDS FOR MICRO APARTMENTS <br />City State <br />Defined Use <br />Minimum Size <br />Off -Street Parking <br />Standards <br />Additional Standards <br />Grand Rapids MI <br />Micro -Unit <br />12o square feet clear <br />Min.: 0.5 space/unit §5.6.o8.B.3.f <br />floor area (2(315IPMC) <br />Hartford <br />Miami <br />CT <br />FL <br />Efficiency/Micro-Unit <br />Micro Dwelling Unit <br />30o square feet <br />275 square feet <br />Max.: 2 spaces/unit §3.3.1.A(5)(a) <br />Max.: 1.1 spaces/unit §6 Table 13 <br />Oakland <br />Seattle <br />CA Micro Living Quarters <br />WA Small Efficiency Dwelling Unit <br />Micro -Efficiency Multifamily <br />Dwelling Unit <br />Springfield MO <br />15o square feet <br />22o square feet <br />220 square feet habitable <br />space (2012 IBC)' <br />Min.: 0.25 space/unit §17.1o1C.o55 <br />Min.: 0.5 space unit §23.42.048.B <br />Min.: 1 space/unit None <br />West Palm Beach FL <br />Micro -Unit <br />30o square feet <br />Max.: 0.55 space/ <br />unit <br />§94-106 (a) (8. a) <br />1. Not addressed in zoning code. <br />minimum sleeping area space and kitchen <br />and bathroom facilities requirements. One <br />stipulates common area space and man- <br />agement requirements. And one requires <br />on -site car- and bicycle -sharing stations and <br />a monthly per -unit contribution to the city's <br />trolley fund. <br />Communities wondering if they should <br />include use -specific standards for micro <br />apartments in their zoning codes should <br />consider whether local building code require- <br />ments are sufficient to protect the health, <br />safety, and welfare of occupants. Think <br />about how district- or building -form -specific <br />development standards are likely to affect <br />the physical possibility and financial feasibil- <br />ity of micro -apartment projects. Identify any <br />locations within permissible zoning districts <br />that would be inappropriate for micro -apart- <br />ment projects. If full in -unit kitchens are not <br />required by definition, specify how much <br />space developers must devote to shared <br />kitchens and the location of those kitchens. <br />Either let the market determine how much <br />parking is needed on -site or base minimum <br />off-street parking requirements on the likely <br />demographics of micro -apartment house- <br />holds. Finally, consider whether increasing <br />usage of on -demand ride services merits <br />dedicated space for pickups and drop-offs. <br />CONCLUSIONS <br />Despite widespread media coverage in the <br />past five years, micro -apartment develop- <br />ment in the U.S. is rare. Currently, demand <br />for very small units seems to be concen- <br />trated in the urban cores of large cities with <br />a shortage of affordable rental housing <br />for young, single professionals. In highly <br />stressed housing markets, zoning reforms <br />targeted at making micro -apartment projects <br />legally permissible, physically possible, and <br />financially feasible may lead to dramatic <br />increases in housing supply. However, these <br />reforms may not require singling out micro - <br />apartment development for special zoning <br />treatment. In some cases, the only necessary <br />reform may be eliminating minimum unit size <br />requirements or off-street parking standards. <br />REFERENCES <br />Carey, Kathleen, et al. 2015. The Macro <br />View on Micro Units. Washington, <br />D.C.: Urban Land Institute. Available at <br />http://bit.ly/2nUgK7J. <br />Otet, Ama. 2016. "As US Apartments Get <br />Smaller, Atlanta, Charlotte, Boston <br />Rank among Top Cities with Largest <br />Rental Units." Rent Cafe Blog, June 23. <br />Available at http://bit.ly/2EljP1G. <br />S. Census Bureau. 2o17a. "Historical <br />Households Tables." Available at http:// <br />bit.ly/2rE5Igc. <br />.S. Census, Bureau. 2o17b. "Character- <br />istics of New Housing." Available at <br />lttp://bitly/2sPQn54• <br />S. Census Bureau. 2017c. "American <br />Community Survey" Available at http:// <br />bit.ly/1M wMJQ. <br />ABOUT THE AUTHOR <br />David Morley, AICP, is a senior research <br />associate with the American Planning <br />Association in Chicago, where supports <br />APA's applied research efforts; develops, <br />organizes, and participates in educational <br />sessions and workshops; and writes for APA <br />publications. Morley also coedits Zoning <br />Practice and PAS QuickNotes, a series of <br />briefing papers that explain planning basics <br />to public officials and engaged citizens. <br />Cover: © iStockphotos.com <br />VOL. 35, NO. 3 <br />Zoning Practice (ISSN 1548-0135) is a <br />monthly publication of the American <br />Planning Association. James M. Drinan, lo, <br />Chief Executive Officer; David Rouse, FAICP, <br />Managing Director of Research and Advisory <br />Services; Joseph DeAngelis and David Morley, <br />AICP, Editors. <br />Subscriptions are available for $95 (U.S.) and <br />$120 (foreign). Missing and damaged print <br />issues: Contact APA Customer Service (312- <br />431-9100 or subscriptions@planning.org) <br />within 90 days of the publication date. <br />©2018 by the American Planning Association, <br />which has offices at 205 N. Michigan Ave., <br />Suite 1200, Chicago, IL 606o1-5927, and 1030 <br />15th St., NW, Suite 75o West, Washington, DC <br />z0005-1503; planning.org. <br />All rights reserved. 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