The utopian dream of the Nakagin Capsule Tower, pod apartments built for Japanese salarymen bachelors in 1972, was over before the building was completed and is now in a state of disrepair. But with more people living single than ever before and urban real estate in a global world priced at a premium, micro living is more necessary than ever. From Franklyn Cater at NPR:

One kind of tiny community that many cities are saying yes to is micro apartments. A half-dozen buildings are now either built or in the works in the nation’s capital alone, and renters are snapping them up.

One popular building is the Harper, right in the middle of a bustling area of new restaurants and shops known as the U Street Corridor. The apartments, all between 350 and 450 square feet, aren’t formally called micro units by the property owners, Keener Management — the company calls them “studios” and “junior one-bedrooms.” But “micro” is the term of art that has taken hold in the real estate world for this kind of unit.

Julie Williams, 37, lives in a studio here — one of those 350 square foot spaces with a combined kitchen, bedroom and living area, roughly 11 by 13 feet. It also has a good-sized separate bathroom.

Williams, who works for the National Institutes of Health, says she pays $1,795 a month, including utilities. Williams saw her rent as a deal compared to neighboring buildings when she moved from a suburban condo – the efficiencies across the street, she says, start at $2,300. Now she reverse commutes to her suburban job.

“My social life now is a lot better,” she says. “Because I am single, I like knocking on my neighbors’ door and being like, ‘Hey Dericka. … Or she’ll knock on my door and be like, ‘I have a date, what should I wear?’ “

A key idea behind buildings like this is that people spend less time in their own apartments. There’s common space — think sharing economy, extra space when you need it. There’s a roof deck, a dining area that can be reserved, lounge with TV and Wi-Fi. This is where Julie Williams brings dates – not to her studio.•