Seattle leads the nation in microhousing

[eridani]

Not just a poor peoples' thing--lots of people want to cut way back on the time spent on maintenance of stuff.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/10/seattle-micro-housing-boom-111874.html#ixzz3GTZnga00

Seattle boasts the highest number of micro-dwellings in the country—3,000 at last count. It also permits the most audaciously minimal units, some as small as 90 square feet. That’s about the size of two prison cells put together.

It’s not for the claustrophobic, but it does come with perks—including the chance for millennials and those with modest incomes to settle in vibrant urban neighborhoods. Their presence, in turn, injects new energy to the heart of the city while tamping down suburban sprawl. Micro-housing reflects a growing zeitgeist—to stop accruing, go minimalist and reduce one’s footprint. Indeed, the name of Seattle’s leading micro-housing development company is called Footprint.

A variety of industries across the country have begun to mushroom around this new model of simpler living, marketing services and products to architects, builders and residents of micro-apartments. LifeEdited, a New York “specialty consultant,” offers advice on everything from how to build a Murphy bed for $275 to how to get rid of excess stuff on Craigslist. The goal, according to its website, is to “live large in small spaces.”

[F4lconF16]

1. I think the ideas behind the housing

Need to be spread far and wide. Minimalism in an age where resources may be scarce and overpopulation will happen is key.

Thanks for the article.