Video: Fixing North America’s Big Elevator Problem | Sightline Institute

Our bans on smaller elevators block accessible homes, and our insistence on unique standards drives up prices.

Sightline Institute
A very hard week for me at work but I did my best and hopefully all will be well. I wasn’t able to make the rescheduled state building code meeting to discuss allowing single stair construction at the fifth and sixth story. The proposal mirrored my fourth story proposal. Fire officials opposed I think out of a precautionary principle idea that we should make small careful moves. It proceeds to the board and may still be adopted. #Virginia #BuildingCode #FireSafety #Housing #shortage #VAPol
Happy to see Maine taking action on making new homes more affordable and accessible https://bsky.app/profile/stephenjacobsmith.com/post/3mbpdsk3rws2g #BuildingCode #housing #Maine #accessibility #ADA
Stephen Jacob Smith (@stephenjacobsmith.com)

Progress on elevator reform: a work group in Maine initiated by the state legislature and governor to find housing cost savings recommended cutting the state's elevator hoistway opening protection rules, and also the two-way visual communications requirement. Details on my website: https://www.centerforbuilding.org/trackers?tracker=maine&section=elevators

Bluesky Social
I'm happy to see Congress considering national standards for safer and more affordable family housing. We local government people are doing our best to cobble this together but I agree that national action to support us makes sense. https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6345/text/ih #housing #USPolitics #SingleStair #BuildingCode #FireSafety #inflation
Very interested in this project. As we change building code to allow safer and more affordable family homes in more urban areas, we are finding that the old zoning does not make as much sense. #zoning #BuildingCode #design #SingleStair #housing https://bsky.app/profile/lanefab.com/post/3m7jcaexii22y
Bryn Davidson - Lanefab (@lanefab.com)

Working to come up with a reasonably simple rule set for single-stair infill buildings.

Bluesky Social
https://vancouver.ca/news-calendar/new-vancouver-building-rules-dec-2025.aspx “Modernizing our building rules is about making practical, forward-thinking changes that protect people and support more housing options” #Vancouver #housing #design #BuildingCode #SingleStair #FireSafety
New Vancouver building rules aim to improve safety and housing supply

Vancouver approves new space-saving stair designs and Abandoned and Vacated Buildings By-law.

https://www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/24/denver-city-council-approves-single-stair-building-ordinance/ “There are a number of criteria that are relevant to the design and construction for these buildings to ensure that minimum levels…of life safety are maintained with the allowance for just a single stair to be provided” #Denver #BuildingCode #FireSafety #housing #infill
One California city’s idea to tackle the housing crisis: Take the stairs

For champions of more housing development, ditching the extra staircase has become a buzzy cause in fighting California's housing crisis.

CalMatters
  • Put a few layers of tape over both/all cameras (front/rear) before continuing to read this.
  • Ideally print out and read on paper.
  • If above not possible, read on a desktop or laptop,not on your phone/tablet...........@rainynight65 IMHO it's deliberate. #ExxonKnew why did they do a three-year study (1970-1973 ?) not merely proving (again), but detailing exactly what would happen? Effects of #climateEmergency : 1. Kills people directly &indirectly 2. Prompts #climateMigration , which 3. Move/crowds folks into smaller/denser areas, which makes us easier to 4. Control (in every respect including brainwashing) but also 5. Easier to kill large numbers, faster. ( See also #Gaza IsA #Prototype as are #Sudan & #Haiti & #Mexico & ...) 6. As we become #climateRefugees & move away -> Opens up more #land for #extraction (so-called ' #underExploited ') See also #silentWeaponsForQuietWars available in the public domain apparently.Also two #Boeing #safety #engineer #whistleblowers in the past year died shortly after going public w their news #leak #leaks . One apparent #suicideAllegedly the other in an #accident ... And prior to pandemic IDK which year there was a regional/national conference on the future of #selfDrivingCars #autonomousVehicles #roboTaxis held iirc in #PortlandOregon at #OMSI .. A whole panel of speakers, mostly industry, urban planning, policy wonks... But one woman who was widely regarded as a world-class expert on the risks / dangers of AV's ... She lived in Arizona. The week before she was scheduled to fly to Portland to give her talk at the convention/symposium, she was hit & killed... By a self-driving car.There is plenty more, but one gets the idea.
  • PS. #real_estate #affordable_housing is #gaslighting and a #Trojan_horse . As #private_equity and #public_housing_projects & #CDCs gobble up more land and homes to #demolish them and build brand new ones, the cost invariably skyrockets across the entire #market . Further, 1. They artificially limit the supply by delisting actually-vacant rentals (to drive up cost/demand), and 2. They constantly #lobby tooth & nail against any type of #environmental #regulations ... And #buildingCode #energy #efficiency standards. ... They refuse to even install simple overhangs above windows, to block out the sun during its summer zenith / hottest months while allowing it in the cooler months (#passiveSolarDesign 101 ).. Let alone thicker walls/insulation or triple-pane windows , all of which would only add 2% to the total cost of construction. (See " #passiveHaus explained in 90 seconds " on YouTube as well as #ecoJusticeRadio on passivehomes passivehouse #naturalbuilding
    )
    And building more even actually-affordable housing obscures the most obvious:
    The cheapest home is an existing home.