4 ms·

OK, maybe shipping containers aren't exactly the modular cheap things we can transform into living spaces...but to imagine it creating a dystopia?

by kiba 7y ago

vinceguidry 7y ago
Yeah, when you look at how slums are usually built, it's hard not seeing containers making things any worse. Drop a bunch of old containers into a tent city and all of a sudden it's much harder for the authorities to bulldoze.
- dredmorbius 7y ago
  To be clear: you're suggesting this is an improvement -- bulldozer-proof slums afford utility to the residents? (I'd tend to agree.)
  - vinceguidry 7y ago
    Oh yes, certainly, thought that was clear.
Jagat 7y ago
There's a video series of a guy who tried to do this in California in the middle of a desert and his cost went north of $100k. (Paperwork alone was $25k IIRC). Watching that series reminds you of what a huge bureaucratic nightmare looks like. Search for "Modern home project" on YouTube.
- sixdimensional 7y ago
  I almost started a tiny home business. However, during market research, I discovered the biggest problem with tiny homes is zoning laws. That really threw a monkey wrench into my plans. Have been considering what it would take to get zoning laws preventing tiny homes changed in less popular locales.
  - davidw 7y ago
    > Have been considering what it would take to get zoning laws preventing tiny homes changed in less popular locales. Statewide legislation is probably the way to go. Doing it city by city is a huge slog, and I don't think anything's likely to happen nationwide for a while (but who knows). Network with like-minded people: * YIMBY groups in your area * Strong Towns: https://www.strongtowns.org/ https://www.strongtowns.org/
    - erentz 7y ago
      + Example of such a statewide legislation: https://www.curbed.com/2019/7/1/20677502/oregon-yimby-single-family-zoning-nimby-rent-control https://www.curbed.com/2019/7/1/20677502/oregon-yimby-single...
      - davidw 7y ago
        I pushed hard for that one... we turned up 5 YIMBYs in our not-so-big town on a Friday morning to talk with our state representative, and had a lot of people put in calls to our state senator - both Republicans who ended up voting in favor.
  - mjevans 7y ago
    You'd probably have better luck subverting existing regulatory infrastructure that closely matches your use-case. Instead of tiny homes, try thinking within the regulatory box of "classifies as an RV or towed camper". That might allow you to bypass some of the other limitations you were facing.
    - AJ007 7y ago
      Reminds me of the Tesla tent assembly line.
    - abraae 7y ago
      Around here, you would try and classify your tiny dwelling as "transportable". This means having it sitting on, rather than attached to, the ground, and having some "skids" on the piles.
- PorterDuff 7y ago
  If it's the house I was watching, the amount of house infrastructure within the house cracked me up. A house in a house, full slab, plus the inevitable California fire suppression system. It wasn't even that cool looking. But...I really liked the idea of the above ground septic drain field.
- im3w1l 7y ago
  I guess it must be because houses are so expensive so people go "what's another $25k?" and costs are allowed to drift upwards? Really crazy that it's that bad.
- Jagat 7y ago
  For those wondering, here's the first part of the series https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA5fh29rhLs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA5fh29rhLs

OK, maybe shipping containers aren't exactly the modular cheap things we can transform into living spaces...but to imagine it creating a dystopia?

by kiba 7y ago

OK, maybe shipping containers aren't exactly the modular cheap things we can transform into living spaces...but to imagine it creating a dystopia?

vinceguidry 7y ago

Yeah, when you look at how slums are usually built, it's hard not seeing containers making things any worse. Drop a bunch of old containers into a tent city and all of a sudden it's much harder for the authorities to bulldoze.

dredmorbius 7y ago
To be clear: you're suggesting this is an improvement -- bulldozer-proof slums afford utility to the residents? (I'd tend to agree.)
- vinceguidry 7y ago
  Oh yes, certainly, thought that was clear.

Jagat 7y ago

There's a video series of a guy who tried to do this in California in the middle of a desert and his cost went north of $100k. (Paperwork alone was $25k IIRC). Watching that series reminds you of what a huge bureaucratic nightmare looks like. Search for "Modern home project" on YouTube.

sixdimensional 7y ago
I almost started a tiny home business. However, during market research, I discovered the biggest problem with tiny homes is zoning laws. That really threw a monkey wrench into my plans. Have been considering what it would take to get zoning laws preventing tiny homes changed in less popular locales.
- davidw 7y ago
  > Have been considering what it would take to get zoning laws preventing tiny homes changed in less popular locales. Statewide legislation is probably the way to go. Doing it city by city is a huge slog, and I don't think anything's likely to happen nationwide for a while (but who knows). Network with like-minded people: * YIMBY groups in your area * Strong Towns: https://www.strongtowns.org/ https://www.strongtowns.org/
  - erentz 7y ago
    + Example of such a statewide legislation: https://www.curbed.com/2019/7/1/20677502/oregon-yimby-single-family-zoning-nimby-rent-control https://www.curbed.com/2019/7/1/20677502/oregon-yimby-single...
    - davidw 7y ago
      I pushed hard for that one... we turned up 5 YIMBYs in our not-so-big town on a Friday morning to talk with our state representative, and had a lot of people put in calls to our state senator - both Republicans who ended up voting in favor.
- mjevans 7y ago
  You'd probably have better luck subverting existing regulatory infrastructure that closely matches your use-case. Instead of tiny homes, try thinking within the regulatory box of "classifies as an RV or towed camper". That might allow you to bypass some of the other limitations you were facing.
  - AJ007 7y ago
    Reminds me of the Tesla tent assembly line.
  - abraae 7y ago
    Around here, you would try and classify your tiny dwelling as "transportable". This means having it sitting on, rather than attached to, the ground, and having some "skids" on the piles.
PorterDuff 7y ago
If it's the house I was watching, the amount of house infrastructure within the house cracked me up. A house in a house, full slab, plus the inevitable California fire suppression system. It wasn't even that cool looking. But...I really liked the idea of the above ground septic drain field.
im3w1l 7y ago
I guess it must be because houses are so expensive so people go "what's another $25k?" and costs are allowed to drift upwards? Really crazy that it's that bad.
Jagat 7y ago
For those wondering, here's the first part of the series https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA5fh29rhLs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA5fh29rhLs