Sustainable Development in Low-Income Housing: A New Technology
Social Sciences
Faculty Mentor Program at the University of California, Santa Cruz, 2010-2011
Abstract
People, industry, governments and their planning authorities are searching for more sustainable forms of development to battle the exploitation and depletion of the world's natural resources and the breakdown of its ecology. The need to assess the “sustainability” of development proposals is important to policy and decision makers. However, effective methods of assessing the overall sustainability and economic viability of housing developments using non-traditional and alternative models have yet to be determined. This research aims to address this problem by presenting a methodology for assessing the economic viability of a new sustainable technology for housing construction materials: ISO shipping containers. In a case study based on the low-income communities of Santa Cruz, California, the research examines the low-income housing market's needs, the attributes and characteristics of ISO shipping container technology, the implementation opportunities and challenges of this technology in this market, and the governmental responsibilities and oversight related to this market. Based on the results of this study, a market research model substantiates the economic viability of this alternative building material for sustainable and affordable housing developments in these communities.
Keywords: ISO shipping containers, sustainable development, affordable housing, urban planning, redevelopment, materials science
