neo nomad

There are over 243 million registered passenger vehicles in the U.S. which means there are roughly 1.9 cars per household (based on the 2000 census number of 107 million households). These cars are responsible for 40% of the world’s oil and gas consumption.

The U.S. is, as a point of fact, a throw-away consumer culture. Americans consume an enormous amount of resources per capita at a rate that is a major concern of economists and ecologists. A major aspect of this consumption is consumption of building materials and housing stock. Since the average American moves every 6 years, the number of houses needed to support that trend is gigantic. In 2005, there were 124 million housing units in the U.S. Our housing stock is growing at a rate of 1.5 percent per year, with some counties growing at a rate of 15 percent or higher. But based on the average household size, we have an excess of around 8 million housing units. This surplus is necessary to support the number of Americans who want to move regularly.

This raises the question of why we feel the need to trade out our whole house every time we move. With the median home price over $200,000, and those below that mark rarely worth the investment, it’s not surprising that the housing market has hit yet another slump in many cities.

The solution is to look to nature. Creatures that carry their homes with them are abundant and many of them are highly mobile. The hermit crab (yes, that lovable crustacean that is a staple of childhood pets, perhaps due to their staunch will to live against all odds) will salvage shells and other items to be their homes. They migrate for mating and food purposes, but always have their home with them.

This pattern can be adapted by nomadic Americans. By having a nomadic unit, they can travel at whim and seek out new opportunities – both economic and cultural – without having to invest in a new unit. This provides a modicum of flexibility and mobility while still being within the economic range of a larger portion of Americans.