#microhousing

Tokyo, as the world’s most populous metropolis, has long been known for its high property prices and compact living spaces. Now, a new type of apartment is pushing the boundaries of minimal living with micro-apartments dubbed “three-tatami” rooms, measuring just enough space to fit three standard Japanese floor mats.

Questioning who cities are being designed for/adapted to (e.g. "professional" singles without children, versus multigenerational households or families) in the current conversation about densification in cities. Who does it benefit? How do we build a diverse, flexible range of housing types that meet the needs of all kinds of people?  "… in a wealthy society there’s no need for people to make do with so little (ecological issues aside, that is). All the square footage is going to mansions for the 1%. That, plus the concentration of demand in fewer urban areas, which I think also tracks the growth of wealth inequality — everyone who wants to live off the crumbs of the super-rich needs to be in the same place. And there’s been a decades-long failure to build new urban places that would spread out that demand for real urban experiences — why did that happen?"