Are you longing for a simpler, more sustainable life? Tiny houses might hold the key. This week on Room by Room: The Home Organization Science Insights Podcast, host Marie Stella speaks to urban management and planning Professor Paul Burton about how these once-quirky homes are now seen as a potential solution to the housing affordability crisis.

Having trained and worked as a town planner in London in the 1970s, Prof. Paul Burton had his fair share of tiny home living as a diligent student. He then worked on his PhD at the University of Bristol and spent 25 years researching various urban problems. In 2007, he moved across the globe to Australia to join the Urban Research Program at Griffith University, where he established and led the university’s Cities Research Institute. Currently, he is researching the growing popularity of tiny homes in Australia and how planning systems help or hinder them, alongside Dr. Heather Shearer.

In this episode, Prof. Paul Burton walks through the rich history of tiny homes, revealing that ordinary houses, dating back to 100 years ago, were much smaller to begin with. That aside, he lists the plethora of tiny houses in existence, from conventional shipping containers and modern box-type abodes to eccentric American yellow school buses.

Together, Marie and Prof. Paul Burton weigh the slew of considerations to be made before committing to tiny home living, between permits and maintenance costs. So, tune in this week to learn more about the ins and outs of sizing down.

Follow Prof. Paul Burton’s work: https://experts.griffith.edu.au/18934-paul-burton

Connect with Prof. Paul Burton via the following platforms:

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Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/room-by-room-the-home-organization-science-insights-podcast/id1648509192