Architectural Record has posted a fascinating look at some of the reasons behind American housing shortages and high rates of harm to renters.

Why, then, did the U.S. embark upon a path so different from Europe’s? Quite simply, there was a radical divergence in fire-safety approaches during the 20th century and insufficient exchange of best practices. As Stephen Smith, director of the North American Center for Building, argues, American approaches aim to make combustible light wood-frame buildings easier to escape by providing multiple paths of egress; European codes, by contrast, require fire-resistant materials and compartmentation to prevent fires from spreading in the first place. Statistically, the evidence is clear: fire-death rates are consistently lower in Europe than in the U.S. and Canada.