The New York Apartment Gets Even Smaller

Matt Chaban reports on the Bloomberg administration's new adAPT NYC initiative, which seeks to, "develop a new housing model for the City's growing small-household population." The initiative will begin with a request for proposals issued to developers for a "micro-apartment" test project on a city-owned site in Manhattan. 

On this site, the city is seeking a developer to construct a rental building comprised of at least 75% of units measuring in the range of 275 to 300 square feet (well below what is currently allowed by zoning), in the hopes that the building could serve as a prototype for accommodating the city's changing demographics.

According to Chaban, "The Kips Bay pilot site invites developers to propose other zoning changes that could make micro-apartments work better, with potential applications citywide, such as the possibility of moving some amenities to common spaces or toying with standardized dimensions-while still maintaining the light and air associated with quality housing."