Tiny Home in a City
Tiny Home event flyer
The Community and Regional Planning program hosted the Logistics of Implementing Tiny Homes Discussion Panel on Wednesday, September 27th, at the Main Student Center Black Box Theatre, East Carolina University. It was one of the University-wide series of Tiny Home events hosted by the ECU Sustainability Office. Programs included the Box Truck tours, a talk by the filmmaker, the “Tiny Home in A City” panel discussion, a pop-up art show, and “The Box Truck Film” screening.
The awareness of reuse and recycling for a sustainable future is one of the goals of the Tiny Home event. Made from upcycled materials, the Tiny Home showed a new perspective to students. The panel discussions we hosted further asked what we should do to make the idea implemented in the city.
Facilitated by Dr. Kaylyn Levine, an Assistant Professor of the Planning program, four panelists shared their knowledge, experience, and insights with the participants.
Mr. Topher Thomas was the Founder of Coram Houses—a non-profit organization that provides creative housing solutions for vulnerable people by building tiny homes for underinvested groups in Durham, NC. Mr. William Mills, the Chief Building Inspector of the City of Greenville, NC, shared his knowledge from over 30 years of experience in the building industry and licenses in 42 states. Mr. Bryan Jones, the Lead Planner for the City of Greenville, NC. Served as another panelist. His eastern NC expertise was a great asset in the discussions based on his experiences working for the counties and city governments. Last, Mr. Alex Eaves, the filmmaker of “The Box Truck Film,” joined.
The event began by defining what is a tiny home, where the tiny homes are, and who lives/chooses to live in them. The discussion got more profound when the topic touched on the obstacles to having them in a city, the logistics of implementation, and dealing with disputes/negative perceptions with the neighbors. The discussions ended by sharing the concluding thoughts and suggestions with the participants, followed by attendees’ questions and answers. Great conversations that triggered tremendous thinking moments for future directions!
