Shipping Containers is a good starting point to evaluate a Hypthesis of like ' What if we did This' etc
But the Answer lies more in just like what you said how they are slowly approving some 10 Unit developments on House lots etc.
The Shipping Container Idea has been Chewed over by many people, because they are a good starting point for a Hypothesis and a good example for an analogy for analysis etc,
The shipping containers stack well and trucks are already made that can lift them, transport them and position them etc.
But the two sides of the Coin is:
1) Is the small Unit designed going to be temporary in that position, with or without approval, and with or without a building permit.
2) Is the Proposed small units going to be permanant in part of a larger development proposal on a Multi Unit site.
So if its temporary or out the back on an acreage property, the shipping container Unit, wouldnt look suspicious like a Unit as it would look just like a container out the back so it would go unnoticed, so it that case a good idea.
But for a Multi Unit proposal, the Containers would restrict the development and make more proplems that is solves. Your stuck to the sizes available of length , width and height.
With most Multi unit developments, each Unit is shoe horned in by chopping and editing the plans to make everythng fit the space. Every millimeter is accounted for and adjustable on the plans to make things fit.
Being restricted in sizes by not being able to order each container box at an exact size made to order is the main constraint.
If, A container box development was proposed as a modular system, where each box cranes into position and stacks etc.
Yes that would work great, but those Container Boxes would need to be designed and built from scratch for this purpose to make it all work properly like a Professionally constructed Building.
