Appropriated Infrastructure: A Case Study on the Use of Shipping Containers as Business Infrastructure

Abstract

Shipping containers are symbols of modularity and efficiency in global logistics. Yet shipping containers are increasingly characteristic of business development in informal and geographically marginal economic spaces. In South African townships, shipping containers are vital business infrastructure for micro-enterprises. This paper reports on a case study conducted in Delft, Cape Town. Through a detailed analysis of six sites, the research provides insights on various aspects of the use of containers for business activities and as shapers of urban space. The analysis includes consideration of the architectural adaptations made to containers, spatial configurations, land use conditions and the diverse business uses. Whilst there are economic arguments for using containers for business activities, especially in marginalised contexts, their placement presents policy and regulatory challenges. Across South African cities, municipalities face a regulatory predicament. The positioning and shape of containers can create insecure and unsafe spaces, through incremental and haphazard placement. There are also legitimate concerns around health and safety, not simply to protect the business operators, but also the consumers and residents who use public markets and the public spaces in which container-based training is most prevalent. The case studies reflect on sites with different spatial and social logics, which pose different kinds of questions about the urban impact of these infrastructures. The paper concludes on the relevance and limitations of regulating container usage. The research contributes to expanding an understanding of the local economic activities that shape urban domains in African cities.