The building code rule that lets Seattle turn forgotten lots into housing

Rethinking the building code to allow single-stairwell buildings brought more small-lot, mid-rise apartments to the city—and sparked a wider reform movement.

Fire officials and pro-density urbanists are often at loggerheads. This is especially evident in notoriously car-centric Los Angeles, where a firefighters’ union spent six figures opposing active mobility measures. The two camps can have different ideas of acceptable risks and priorities.