The micro-living movement is out to prove that happy lives come in all shapes and sizes. Living small, whether through home size, environmental footprint or technology makes it easier to live sustainably. Micro-living reduces clutter, waste and expense and can even be a valuable gift to the world in the right context. In learning to meet the needs of the present in a modest, non-excessive way you will be helping to ensure that future generations have the opportunity to have their needs met as well.

At a time when American real estate holds steady in a perpetual wobble, micro-living has given a boost to at least one corner of the housing market; tiny houses. The veer toward downsizing has grown in popularity with many young people and retiring baby boomers, says Kent Griswold, founder of the Tiny House Blog, which averages 5,000 to 7,000 visitors daily. “There’s been a huge interest in people downsizing and there are a lot of young people who don’t want to be tied down with a huge mortgage and want to build their own space.”

But affordability is just one of the perks behind the trend. “People’s reasons for living small vary a lot, but there seems to be a common thread of sustainability,” Tumbleweed Tiny House Company co-founder Jay Shafer said. “A lot of people don’t want to use many more resources or put out more emissions than they have to.”

Micro-living for the environment’s sake is on the rise with the help of the container architecture, which recycles versatile shipping containers – stacked, connected and otherwise easily converted – into efficient living spaces for a fraction of the cost and materials. Big business is also jumping on the micro-living bandwagon as more and more companies opt for smaller technology and packaging reductions.

After staying the weekend at one tiny house positioned against the shores of Lake Superior called the EDGE, designed by the Wisconsin firm Experimental Dwelling for a Greener Environment, art and architecture critic Mary Louise Schumacher left the abode with one less question than she went into it with: What do we truly need to be happy?

Micro-living takes sustainability to the next level. The Sustainable Living Project of Oregon State University has a great guide available for anyone seeking to trim down their lifestyle.

Would you live in a tiny house?

-Li St. Micheal

More Sustainable Living from HalogenTV.com:

1. 3 Freegan Habits to Save Money
2. Shane Claiborne Models The Simple Way in Inner-City Philadelphia
3. Serenbe: An Atlanta Family’s Vision for Sustainable Life