Chicago Building Code Reform

What If Chicago Allowed
Single Stair Buildings?

Above the second story, Chicago's building code requires each unit to have access to two stairways. On a standard 25-foot lot, that means three stairways per building, resulting in smaller, darker apartments with fewer bedrooms. Seattle, New York, Austin, and Honolulu already allow single stair with sprinklers, and more states are following.

Peer cities have already adopted single stair reform
3 → 1
Staircases per Building
+38%
Livable Space per Floor
2 → 3 BR
Bedrooms per Unit
Staircase
Hallway
Livable Space

Current Code

Single Stair Reform

Per-Floor Comparison (Floor 1)

Current Code Reform Difference

Whole-Building Summary

Current Code Reform