Small Elevator Proposal Wins Inaugural NYC Accessibility Challenge

A proposal to revise NYC code to allow for smaller elevators in existing buildings was one of two winners of the inaugural Opening Doors Innovation Challenge in Housing and Small Businesses, the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) announced in January. The initiative was launched by DOB and the NYC Department of Housing, Preservation and Development in 2025 with the aim to bring together "designers, technologists, advocates and problem-solvers to reimagine accessibility in our built environment." A panel of judges selected the winners: land use lawyer, architect and founder of Urban Factors land consultancy Margery Perlmutter for her small elevators proposal and architect Elizabeth Austin Katz for a proposal to create accessibility reports at building entrances for visitors and occupants. In Perlmutter's presentation, she pointed out that installing elevators in existing buildings is common in Europe and showed an example of small courtyard elevators in France.