Although housing in China is being constructed at an unprecedented rate, the current development model may not adequately account for the needs of rural-to-urban migrants, and may not be resilient enough to adapt to long-term changes in the housing market.

The lack of housing suitable to migrants encourages the spread of informally developed slums. Cities should learn from informal settlements and provide viable alternatives. By developing housing that is flexible enough to adapt to both short and long term changes, cities may be able to halt informal development and reduce the need for demolition and redevelopment to meet current housing standards.

This thesis argues that planning for the evolution of transitional housing can improve both its short-term performance and its longer term resiliency. It explores how vernacular and contemporary housing typologies can be synthesized both to better meet the changing needs of migrant workers and the city as a whole.