A new trend in urban living is the concept of the "micro" apartment or micro-unit which lowers the amount of livable space to around 220sq ft.
(http://www.trbimg.com/img-50608aa7/turbine/la-me-micro-units-06.jpg-20120923/600)
Some urban planners fear this would diminish the true urban experience by placing size over functionality.
It also doesn't address the need for affordable housing for large family units in urban spaces.
The pricing in San Francisco for this micro space would be about $1500 monthly.
Per the LA Times:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-micro-apartments-20120924,0,5210788.story (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-micro-apartments-20120924,0,5210788.story)
One Yelp reviewer dissed the condos as "no bigger than most hotel rooms" and only three times larger than "the average U.S. prison cell."
Would this be considered urban living at any cost? Is this what the urban experience is all about?
Not sure this is a new trend...definitely not a trend in the South/Midwest, but certainly a fact of life in parts of the NE and West Coast.
About the size of my apt in college. Not bad for a single person- and think of the money you would save.