ABSTRACT
Between 2018 and 2050, urban populations are projected to increase by 2.5 billion. A scalable solution to mid- and high-rise housing suitable for dense urban development is urgently needed to cope with that projected global urban population growth. At the same time, the global middle class is growing rapidly, and land use patterns associated with housing for the middle class—automobile dependence and its concomitant urban sprawl—are unsustainable. A transformation in construction technology that brings down the cost of multi-story housing will encourage a shift in settlement patterns, re-populating cities not just with young creatives but also with families and retirees, changing the way land has been developed in the U.S. since the end of World War II.
While much of the book’s focus is on urban housing for the middle class, it does not overlook the pressing needs of homeless, the poor, and the working poor. Much as an automobile chassis can support a range of models from economy to luxury, intermodal modular architecture can support inclusionary housing for all income levels, and across a broad range of typologies from high-rise to urban infill.
Principle #1: Economies of Scale is introduced.
