Global Container Urbanism and Sustainable Urban Development

Abstract

The crisis of urbanization, marked by rising property values, a lack of affordable housing, and chronic homelessness in cities, has fueled experiments with sustainable alternatives such as shipping container architecture. Shipping container homes are more cost-effective, energy-efficient, ecologically sustainable, versatile, have a lower carbon footprint, and are more durable than conventional construction methods. This study uses semi-structured interviews with container modular firms in selected cities to demonstrate the potential and challenges of construction innovation and the diffusion of container architecture in urban space. The findings call into question the fetishization of environmental friendliness and the allure of rational, mass-produced container homes as a solution to the urban housing crisis. Instead, the study draws attention to the paradox of sustainability, competition, and opposition from the traditional real estate market, regulations, and planning permitting systems, and the standardization-customization divergence of container urbanism.