All this is about a small niche. Three deckers with wood framing, single stairway, plenty of light are common, and this is not relevant to large buildings.
So this proposal, is how to encourage infill to grow beyond three deckers, without having to build “apartment buildings”. Is it wise to allow the rules we currently use for three deckers to grow to 6 stories? I’ve lived on the top of a three decker and that worked well. I’ve also lived on the fifth floor and was happy to have brick construction, an elevator, more resistance to fire, bugs, noise. Im not convinced this is the answer, but clearly we need to make it easier for all levels of residential density to grow to the next level
For what it’s worth, I really like a three-decker or four-decker with balconies, it’s a solid kind of building. But they are very rare in most American cities, which zone them out. Between the two (zoning reform or IBC/IRC reform) I would favor zoning reform first.
All this is about a small niche. Three deckers with wood framing, single stairway, plenty of light are common, and this is not relevant to large buildings.
So this proposal, is how to encourage infill to grow beyond three deckers, without having to build “apartment buildings”. Is it wise to allow the rules we currently use for three deckers to grow to 6 stories? I’ve lived on the top of a three decker and that worked well. I’ve also lived on the fifth floor and was happy to have brick construction, an elevator, more resistance to fire, bugs, noise. Im not convinced this is the answer, but clearly we need to make it easier for all levels of residential density to grow to the next level
For what it’s worth, I really like a three-decker or four-decker with balconies, it’s a solid kind of building. But they are very rare in most American cities, which zone them out. Between the two (zoning reform or IBC/IRC reform) I would favor zoning reform first.