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The case for single-stair multifamily

thesisdriven.com

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Re: The case for single-stair multifamily

#471

Post by zo1 »

lukas099 wrote: post #381
gamepsys wrote: post #375

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Zoning laws have a lot to do with safety & public health. Industrial zoning is far away from residential because factories produce pollution. Edit: Some parts of zoning law has to do with safety/health. Some parts don't. Some parts are about more than one thing. When I was growing up there was a chemical fire in a factory in town. People were evacuated. Luckily, very few homes were evacuated because zoning laws kept…

Okay, what is the safety reason my barber can’t operate out of a room in his house?

Side answer. This kind of regulation lifts GDP by mandating some sort of economic activity. A barber in a room in his house means less rental, less money for commercial real estate company, less money spent buying "commercial" chairs and commercial chemicals. And thousands of other things I can't even fathom as the scope of this problem is huge and so intertwined with all other economic activity.

Re: The case for single-stair multifamily

#472

Post by mcculley »

gamepsys wrote: post #234
adameasterling wrote: post #63

This is a fantastic article. Burdensome regulations on housing construction have caused costs to skyrocket. Minimum lot sizes, setback requirements, square footage minimums, floor-area ratio restrictions, overzealous height restrictions, parking requirements, abuse of environmental reviews, historic designations, community reviews, overzealous MFH requirements (like double-stair), below-market mandates, all have work…

Just curious, are there any regulations on housing you agree with? There tends to be belief that housing regulations exist to limit supply. Let's not forget that many of these encourage safety and are cost effective ways to increase the quality of life of the residents. If we take deregulation and cheap housing to the extreme we end up with shanty towns.

> There tends to be belief that housing regulations exist to limit supply.

It is often more the case that limited supply is an unintended outcome. People just don’t think ahead.

Re: The case for single-stair multifamily

#473

Post by CPLX »

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #343
astrange wrote: post #334

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those places that don't have housing emergencies generally have just as bad regulations, and would have the same problems the instant they became appealing enough to move there. Eventually you run out of built out sprawl.

> hose places that don't have housing emergencies generally have just as bad regulations, and would have the same problems the instant they became appealing enough to move there. If American population was equalized across these other cities, there would be less pressure on the few hot places everyone wants to move now, since our population isn't growing so much these days. > Eventually you run out of built out spraw…

> IF you want to solve your housing emergency, limit growth in some way

This makes about as much sense as fucking for virginity

Re: The case for single-stair multifamily

#474

Post by munksbeer »

gabesullice wrote: post #451

I can speak to and endorse this kind of unit from personal experience. I was born, raised and lived most of my life in Denver, CO. Now, I live in France in a 'single-stair multifamily'. Growing up I mostly lived in single family homes, but in college my dad moved into a townhouse and I lived with him for a couple years. Before moving to France, my wife and I lived in single family homes and a '5-over-1' apartment. No…

> Admittedly, I do miss having barbecues in the backyard. I also miss having a garage to use as a workshop.

This is something that Singapore seems to do quite well. Many blocks of flats have shared outdoor facilities like a bbq, childrens playground, pool, etc. I've never lived there but have friends who do and when I visit we'll have a bbq.

I live in the UK. The housing here is notoriously poor quality, even (or sometimes especially) new build blocks of flats. And even in the expensive places I'm not sure they offer this.

Re: The case for single-stair multifamily

#475

Post by willis936 »

adameasterling wrote: post #63

This is a fantastic article. Burdensome regulations on housing construction have caused costs to skyrocket. Minimum lot sizes, setback requirements, square footage minimums, floor-area ratio restrictions, overzealous height restrictions, parking requirements, abuse of environmental reviews, historic designations, community reviews, overzealous MFH requirements (like double-stair), below-market mandates, all have work…

A lot of these zoning changes lower the already low barrier for multinationals to build, but does nothing for actual families. I'm presently surrounded by hundreds of empty units priced out of reach because these companies are illegally colluding to fix the price. They may claim ignorance and try to launder responsibility through a series of tech products, but at the end of the day the rent is high where I am because of price fixing.

Re: The case for single-stair multifamily

#476

Post by robertlagrant »

willis936 wrote: post #475
adameasterling wrote: post #63

This is a fantastic article. Burdensome regulations on housing construction have caused costs to skyrocket. Minimum lot sizes, setback requirements, square footage minimums, floor-area ratio restrictions, overzealous height restrictions, parking requirements, abuse of environmental reviews, historic designations, community reviews, overzealous MFH requirements (like double-stair), below-market mandates, all have work…

A lot of these zoning changes lower the already low barrier for multinationals to build, but does nothing for actual families. I'm presently surrounded by hundreds of empty units priced out of reach because these companies are illegally colluding to fix the price. They may claim ignorance and try to launder responsibility through a series of tech products, but at the end of the day the rent is high where I am because…

Sorry I don't understand - why would they be selling units, but also deliberately pricing them too high?

Re: The case for single-stair multifamily

#477

Post by earino »

What a wonderful article.

I've lived in single family homes and apartments in USA, Switzerland and Spain. I never understood why the apartment buildings in the USA felt so different, and now it makes sense. Even in my 15 story apartment in Zurich, there was a single stair. It made the apartment layouts much better, made it easier to make apartments with a lot more light, and many of the things this article talks about.

Now I live in Spain in a building from the 1960s. A 4 story apartment building, retrofitted in the 1980s with a tiny elevator. It's a really efficient design, though my wife and I have discussed that from an accessibility standpoint, it leaves a lot to be desired.

Now I understand the constraints of apartment designers in the USA a bit better!

Re: The case for single-stair multifamily

#478

Post by trgn »

bombcar wrote: post #203
twiddling wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't forget about street widths being determined by the ability to turn around fire equipment.

If it makes you feel any better the oldest streets around here are wider than newer ones, because they had to be able to turn a wagon with a team of horses.

This was the seed that destroyed the American city. Roads were humongous 100 years before car was invented. It was fine, a buffer for the smoke and filth of the industrial city, but still multipurpose, accessible. Once cars started driving on these huge expanses, it turned every city street in a highway; dangerous, polluted, noisy, pushing out other uses, ...

Re: The case for single-stair multifamily

#479

Post by earino »

gabesullice wrote: post #451

I can speak to and endorse this kind of unit from personal experience. I was born, raised and lived most of my life in Denver, CO. Now, I live in France in a 'single-stair multifamily'. Growing up I mostly lived in single family homes, but in college my dad moved into a townhouse and I lived with him for a couple years. Before moving to France, my wife and I lived in single family homes and a '5-over-1' apartment. No…

I now live in a 4 story building in Spain and I too miss having BBQs.

Re: The case for single-stair multifamily

#480

Post by jojobas »

slyall wrote: post #462
porkbeer wrote: post #426

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or Those who want to know their kids are safe and have a place to play.

Not much use wanting to have a stand-alone place if you can't afford it.

Rural homes are dirt cheap almost everywhere. Yes, choices are made.
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