Urban density makes sustainable cities possible. The more closely together we live, the more we share amenities, and the less space we take up for our personal needs, the smaller our collective footprints become. But getting more compact means changing the commonly accepted correlation between McMansions and good living.

The Japanese lead the way in proving the benefits of small spaces. By virtue of long-held tradition and the necessity of finding comfort in populous cities like Tokyo, designing homes for tiny in-between spaces has become a modern art.