Why we can’t build family-sized apartments in North America
North American cities struggle to offer affordable, family-sized apartments, with many blaming zoning rules and building codes that mandate wide corridors, multiple stairwells, setbacks, and other features that push multi-bedroom units toward large, expensive footprints. Commenters contrast this with Europe and parts of Asia, where smaller units, single-stair designs, and different lifestyles (less storage, more walkability) make multi-bedroom apartments more common, while also noting that overall housing costs are high there too. Others point to financialization, long mortgage terms, and suburban preferences for detached homes as equal or greater drivers of scarcity and price, and warn that calls to relax safety codes may be more about boosting developer margins than improving affordability.
Apartment size and cultural differences
- Several compare US “extra large” housing to smaller European and Asian units.
- European apartments often lack closets, laundry rooms, and large fridges; residents shop more often and rely on nearby stores, reducing storage needs.
- Some Americans abroad find European units cramped and not dramatically cheaper; others argue US expectations are inflated by high per‑capita consumption and car culture.
Building codes, egress, and floorplans
- Core debate: US multi-unit fire codes (two stairs, long central corridors, setbacks) drive larger unit footprints and make family-sized apartments costly.
- Examples from Europe and China show single-stair “point access” blocks with dual-sided light and better layouts.
- Others note EU codes also often require multiple egress paths; practice varies by country and building age.
- Some worry proposals to relax US egress rules are industry-driven attempts to cut safety, especially post–high-profile fires.
Zoning, sprawl, and urban form
- US setbacks, parking minimums, height limits, and single-family zoning make it hard to fit efficient family apartments on small lots, encouraging townhomes and sprawl instead.
- Dense cities are said to subsidize infrastructure costs for car-dependent suburbs; some call current patterns fiscally unsustainable.
Economics: land, finance, and rent control
- Land value tax is floated as a “magic bullet”; others argue it doesn’t solve volatility or broader financialization.
- Multiple commenters blame low interest rates, long mortgages, and speculative expectations for decoupling prices from physical reality; “build more” is seen as necessary but insufficient.
- Rent control in some cities is said to incentivize designs aimed at high-turnover tenants (students, young workers) rather than stable families.
Families, apartments, and lifestyle preferences
- In much of the world, families in apartments are normal; in the US, many associate “family” with detached houses and yards, especially outside a few big cities.
- Some argue limited larger-unit stock and code constraints shape demand, not just preferences. Others insist most Americans would choose a house if affordable.
Noise, kids, and shared spaces
- Tension between childless remote workers wanting quiet and families needing play space.
- Several argue the real problem is poor soundproofing and design, not children, and point to courtyard and playground models in Europe/Eastern Europe.
Regional variation and data
- Data points from different US states and cities conflict on how common 2–4 bedroom units are, underscoring that supply and unit mix vary widely by region and cost level.