Developers in Seattle have been building ultra-compact apartments to provide alternatives to high housing prices. But these "aPodments," which take advantage of loopholes in codes, could bring negative consequences with the large increase in density.
In the Emerald City, dozens of microhousing units are being built on what were once single-family lots. This increasingly common kind of housing "offers a way to reconcile rising urban housing prices with a financially struggling generation's preference for city living," says Claire Thompson, and "is now prompting passionate debate over the best approach to urban landfill." Such developments are a creative way of building affordable housing, but face opposition from "wealthy homeowners who don't want younger, poorer folks flooding their neighborhood, competing for parking spaces, blocking their views, destroying local character, and depreciating neighboring property values."
Another problem, says critics, "is not the idea of density itself or the types of new neighbors it could bring, but the backhanded way Seattle developers have gone about capitalizing on the trend." San Francisco has updated its city code to allow small units and New York is piloting "micro-apartment" projects, but Seattle is allowing developers to count multiple microapartments as one large unit and bypass standard design and environmental reviews. "If aPodments start showing up on every block," said Carl Winter, a representative of neighborhood group Reasonable Density Seattle, "that's an incredible increase in density, and they're never going to study what that density would do."
The Capitol Hill Community Council submitted a resolution to the Seattle City Council asking for a moratorium on new microapartments until the design-review loophole is closed, says Thompson, but it doesn't sound like the city is seriously considering it. "We're observing them and intend to do a little more study," said Mike Podowski, land use policy manager for the city's Department of Planning and Development.
FULL STORY: Peace in a pod: How tiny apartments could reshape the big city

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents
The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing
Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive
Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie