A pilot for micro-apartments in Manhattan that waives current zoning rules for one building would alter the development arena for the city if allowed on a wide scale.
The issue has come up due to a lack of affordable studio apartments for singles and because some New Yorkers are already living illegally in spaces tinier than 100 square feet.
Some residents in other mega cities, including London and Tokyo, have been cramming into nooks for years—such as a 62-square-foot former cupboard in London that was reported by media back in 2005.
In Seattle, some buildings have micro-apartments that average 170 square feet. A proposed amendment to San Francisco’s building code would allow 150-square-foot living spaces, plus a kitchen and bathroom, which brings it up to 220, according to Scott Wiener, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
A New York Contest
A pilot program in New York City adAPT NYC proposes having zoning regulations waved for micro-apartments of 250 to 350 square feet in one building.
