Dive Brief:

• A design contest focused on storm-proofing cities prompted a New York architecture firm to draft the concept of using trash-filled shipping containers to protect the city from a flood.
• The entry, entitled [CONTAINED] combines safety features and an economical concept. The group's design has Manhattan surrounded by a canal with a city of shipping containers on the other side.
• The bottom layer of the containers would be filled with trash and buildings, businesses and homes would sit on top. The city would be transformed into a floating landfill to store the city's waste. 

Dive Insight:

The firm says it understands the environmental risks associated with placing waste into water, and addresses this issue by suggesting close monitoring. The architects also encouraged recycling and finding alternate uses for the waste collected.