Micro-Living, Macro-Impact: How Tiny Apartments are Transforming Urban Landscapes

As the urban population soars, humans are coming up with ways to accommodate the influx, leading to a new wave of apartments, micro apartments. These compact living spaces are equipped with every feature of a studio apartment.

Though these tiny adobes are not officially defined, they can be classified as an ergonomically smart and self-contained living space with usually, a kitchenette, bathroom, sitting, and sleeping space. The furniture is foldable, built-in, modular, and can serve multiple purposes. [1] Moreover, these are typically smaller than most studio apartments, about 150 – 300 sqft. to 200 – 400 sqft. [3] They look futuristic and are a minimal aesthetic lover’s dream, as every item serves a purpose and has no space for clutter.

Just like today’s problems of changing demographics and population rising in cities, micro apartments or SROs developed decades ago to tackle these same issues. Micro apartments had different forms in the beginning, they were called single-room occupancy units in the early 20th century. [2] These were common in urban centers like New York; they were home to single adults who required affordable housing. They were helping cities alleviate the housing crunch by providing communal amenities with small single units, but they were washed out of the picture in 1929 after the regulations and bylaws of the city changed. [2]

In mid 20th century, post-war, Europe saw a rise in compact living solutions. This was due to the large need for housing and space constraints. Later, in the late 20th century, an experiment was run by San Diego. They constructed multiple affordable micro-living apartments in 1980 to increase affordable housing, with the help of a permit passed to construct them in 1980. Soon Los Angeles and San Francisco joined. [2]

In the 2000s, micro apartments were adopted by Tokyo, Hong Kong to maximise every square inch of space. Projects like Carmel Place in New York revisited this concept by providing 260 sqft units. It was a global trend in enhancing livability. [2] Throughout history, micro-apartments have always been with us in various forms.

Apart from serving the population crisis, they provide additional benefits to a city. According to a study by the United Nations, reducing a house’s per-capita floor size by 20% could mean a 50-60% reduction in emissions during construction. It could also lead to a 20% reduction in heating and cooling demand during the use phase of the house. [4] Further, micro apartments require far fewer resources to construct compared to a traditional apartment building. Making them excellent to invest and get returns. Fewer construction materials mean less greenhouse gas emissions. [5] Moreover, as we live compactly, the remainder of space can be utilised for other functions and help cities turn greener. Elements such as urban parks and cycle lanes which improve public transportation make a city more livable and connected. Therefore, making space for these will surely be beneficial in the long run. [6] Urban dwellers think that living densely will worsen the traffic problem, but according to the Urban Land Institute, “Higher-density development generates less traffic than low-density development per unit,” “It makes walking and public transit more feasible and creates opportunities for shared parking.” [7] [8]

Population rise and the construction industry are two of the major reasons for putting the environment and wildlife at risk. Hence, if we make a broader shift towards micro apartments, this problem can be controlled immensely.

Along with the advantages on a larger scale, these tiny spaces have additional benefits on an individual level as well. Since the floor area is less, the rent is cheaper. This makes micro apartments affordable and convenient for bachelors, students, and retirees. They are usually 20%-30% cheaper than a traditional apartment. [3] Moving on, as most amenities are clustered like laundry areas, and lounging areas, few even have communal kitchens, which help in getting to know neighbours and create a sense of community. Moreover, as these are compact, less cleaning is required and there is no space for hoarding, helping residents to be more efficient and tidy.

Conversely, there are a few drawbacks to these tiny adobes. Tight living spaces can make one feel isolated and claustrophobic. This can impact the quality of sleep, stress, and anxiety levels. Further, these spaces are not suitable for anyone with pets or children. Their limited use makes it hard for us to judge whether the pros outdo the cons. Moreover, the packing of large amounts of people on top of each other generates concentrated greenhouse emissions, which can impact human health as well as pollinating species. [9] [10] Another concern is It is known to create an urban heat island effect, which compromises fauna species. [11] Ironically, more species and tree shade are required to balance this outcome.

In conclusion, today, with over half of the world calling metropolitan cities their homes, micro-apartments, though born out of necessity, continue to rise. But we should not overlook the impact of high-density developments on the climate and biodiversity as creating a balance is key to making a city more livable and preventing cities from deteriorating.

Citations:

1. www.inlandreschool.com. (n.d.). Cramped or Cozy? Micro-Apartments Reshaping Urban Living. [online] Available at: https://www.inlandreschool.com/blog/b/cramped-or-cozy-micro-apartments-reshaping-urban-living.
2. ‌ArchDaily. (2017). The Economics Behind New York’s Micro-Apartment Experiment. [online] Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/868463/the-economics-behind-new-yorks-micro-apartment-experiment.
3. The Macro View on Micro Units. (n.d.). Available at: https://uli.org/wp-content/uploads/ULI-Documents/MicroUnit_full_rev_2015.pdf.
4. ‌Micro spaces, macro impact. (n.d.). Micro spaces, macro impact. [online] Available at: https://www.polestar.com/us/news/micro-spaces-macro-effect/.
5. ‌Facebook, Twitter, Toronto, U. of, Twitter and Toronto, U. of (n.d.). A Simple Guide to Carbon Emissions From Building Materials. [online] Treehugger. Available at: https://www.treehugger.com/guide-to-carbon-emissions-building-materials-5271939.
6. ‌Zipperer, W., Northrop, R. and Andreu, M. (2020). Urban Development and Environmental Degradation PRINTED FROM the OXFORD RESEARCH ENCYCLOPEDIA, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE (oxfordre.com/environmen talscience) ( Urban Development and Environmental Degradation. Urban development and environmental degradation. [online] doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199389414.013.97.
7. ‌Daily Survey: Attitudes Toward Development -1000 US Adult Citizens. (2022). Available at: https://docs.cdn.yougov.com/pj671pokvi/tabs_Attitudes_Toward_Development_20220407.pdf [Accessed 23 Jul. 2024].
8. Higher-Density Development. (n.d.). Available at: https://uli.org/wp-content/uploads/ULI-Documents/HigherDensity_MythFact.ashx_.pdf.
9. ‌Yuan, C., Ng, E. and Norford, L.K. (2014). Improving air quality in high-density cities by understanding the relationship between air pollutant dispersion and urban morphologies. Building and Environment, 71, pp.245–258. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2013.10.008.
10. ‌Wild bees and hoverflies respond differently to urbanisation, human population density and urban form. (2020). Landscape and Urban Planning, [online] 204, p.103901. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2020.103901.
11. ‌LinkedIn, Twitter, Asheville, U. of N.C. at and University, J.H. (n.d.). What Is an Urban Heat Island? [online] Treehugger. Available at: https://www.treehugger.com/urban-heat-island-5113741.