Home » Video explains the one reason Americans can’t have quaint, walk-up apartments like Europeans do

Video explains the one reason Americans can’t have quaint, walk-up apartments like Europeans do

One of the most beautiful features of old European neighborhoods are the rows of quaint, walk-up apartments that are the backbone of walkable neighborhoods. They help create a community where people can exit their front door and walk to a local café or market without getting in their car.

Unfortunately, these neighborhoods are hard to find in the United States, where these types of apartment buildings are exceedingly rare. Why is that? In the video below, About Here’s founder, Uytae Lee, explains why regulations in North America have made these quaint walk-up apartments, known by architects as point access blocks, nearly impossible to build.
Uytae Lee is an urban planner and videographer passionate about sharing stories about our cities.

“Quaint,walk-upapartments…areabelovedfeatureincitiesaroundtheworld,”Leesaysinhisvideoentitled“WhyNorthAmericansCan’tHaveNiceApartments.”“They’reinvitingandfullofcharacter.But,hereinNorthAmerica,theyarenotallowedtobebuilttoday.Instead,ourdepartmentsarebigandimposing,oftenstretchingacrosstheentireblockandthereasonwhyitreallycomesdowntoonereason:stairc