City Housing Research Articles

The Effect of Personal Selling of Iconnet Products on the Buying Interest of Housing Residents in Medan City

Technology has influenced humans in their daily lives. The improvement of technological developments is able to affect aspects of life that cannot be separated from the use of the internet. It is seen in the last 5 years that the use of technology in Indonesia has grown rapidly, marked by the emergence of many internet service providers. The increase in household internet users is one of the phenomena that can be used by ICON+ to be able to attract new users. This target market will try to find alternative internet providers that can meet the needs of the internet in households at affordable prices. This study aims to measure the influence of personal selling carried out by ICON+ sales on the buying interest of people in Medan housing. This study is a quantitative research with a simple linear regression method from a total of 350 respondents. The results of this study stated that personal selling had an effect on the buying interest of residents in Medan city housing with the influence of the independent variable on the bound variable of 52.2% while the remaining 47.8% was influenced by other factors outside this study.

Predictive Analytics for Housing Market Trends and Valuation

Introduction: The demand for housing in major cities is exceptionally high due to the concentration of offices and economic hubs in these areas. The combination of limited available land and increased demand drives house prices upward.Objective: To accommodate this, developers are increasingly constructing residential areas on the outskirts of cities, offering easier access to transportation such as trains and highways. These developers compete by offering competitive pricing, diverse housing options, simplified mortgage processes, and attractive promotions like zero down payments. Buying a house is a significant long-term investment, as property values typically appreciate over time. Therefore, a thorough analysis is crucial when purchasing a home. Several key factors, such as location, land size, building area, and property type, play a role in determining house prices.Method: This study adopts a quantitative approach, which involves systematically investigating phenomena by collecting measurable data and analyzing it through statistical, mathematical, or computational methods. Result: This paper discusses the most effective techniques for data collection, pre-processing, feature extraction, model training, and evaluation. The purpose of this research method is to develop theoretical frameworks related to real-world phenomena. Conclusions: Measurement plays a pivotal role in this quantitative study, as it is central to understanding the data and drawing meaningful conclusions. Finally, we evaluate the current state of research, identifying trends and gaps in the field

Affordable housing solutions: real estate strategies for addressing urban population growth

Introduction: As the population count in cities increases, the need for affordable and efficient housing systems becomes even more pressing, especially for the poor and middle-income earners. Housing affordability challenges are an important area to which real estate strategies contribute, and this includes funding schemes, resource-efficient construction methods, and a repurposing of structures for different functions. These strategies work towards achieving the goal of closing the deficit of housing availability in the market as well as meeting the necessary criteria for sustainability and habitability of cities of the future. Materials and Methods: The research methodology employed a comprehensive literature review, analysing peer-reviewed articles, industry reports, and case studies from diverse urban contexts. The data collection was majorly centered on successful affordable housing projects, policies, and approaches used in various city settings. Both quantitative and qualitative assessments were used in the studies for comparative analysis of different strategies and solutions with respect to their efficiency and applicability with regard to cost-saving, mass implementation, and social aspects. Finally, a focus on the world of urban planning and real estate with interviews with professionals in these fields as well as policymakers gave an understanding of possible actual difficulties and opportunities of realizing affordable housing strategies. Results: The study revealed several key findings regarding effective real estate strategies for affordable housing. Financing models that were discussed in this paper include public-private partnerships and community land trusts showed promising results regarding the possibility of decreasing housing prices and making housing more accessible. Techno-friendly mechanisms such as modular construction accompanied by the use of lightweight building materials were perceived to be helpful in increasing the rate of construction of houses while reducing the effects of the construction activities on the physical environment. Adaptive reuse mortels demonstrated that movement’s ability to re purpose inactive urban areas as viable affordable housing opportunities satisfied both the demand for housing and site redevelopment. In addition, policy interventions like inclusionary zoning and density bonus were useful in enhancing the private sector’s engagement in affordable housing. Discussion: The research findings highlight the multifaceted nature of affordable housing solutions and the importance of context-specific strategies. Some strategies like public-private partnerships, could be adopted in any city regardless of the type, however the decision on their application depended on the local socio-economic situation and legislation. Effective implementation of sustainable construction depended on appropriate skills by human resources and favourable policies. Architects and developers of adaptive reuse projects encountered issues with code conformity and reception among the population. These findings suggest that the solution to affordable housing must employ the right mix of innovative real estate solutions, supportive public policies, and active community participation. Conclusion: Real estate strategies offer promising avenues for addressing the affordable housing crisis in rapidly growing urban areas. Innovative financing strategies; efficient construction practices; as well as adaptive reuse strategies provide an opportunity for extending the amount of affordable housing in cities alongside sustainable development. However, the accomplishment of these strategies entails cooperation from public, private, and the community sectors

Applying Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM), Simulation, and Surveys to Planning Wheelchair-Accessible Homes

This paper explores the use of technology in assessing wheelchair accessibility in existing and newly built homes. Our investigation was divided into two parts. The first part applied simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) and computer simulation technologies to existing homes to evaluate them for wheelchair accessibility. The second part considered the possibility of converting new houses in New Taipei City into accessible houses for wheelchair users, specifically focusing on kitchen design as a test case. Tasks in the first part of this study include the autonomous robot car, computer-aided simulation, SLAM, and field testing. The goal was to evaluate the possibility of employing robotic technologies for helping modify existing homes in order to make them more accessible by a wheelchair. The investigation started with LiDAR integration into an inexpensive autonomous robot car by designing and assembling hardware as well as integrating software. Then SLAM was employed to map the floor plan of a home, while the software for simulating a robot was used for modeling a wheelchair movement inside the house. Finally, field tests were conducted in the actual home environment and the methodology was analyzed. In the second part of the investigation, 137 floor plans of new homes in New Taipei City were analyzed and classified into eleven types. The study used the chi-square test to assess which home types are most suited for accessible-kitchen modification, and no specific type was found to be particularly suited for this purpose. The study indicated that only 30.7% of the kitchens could be adapted to become wheelchair-friendly. However, 69.3% of kitchens in new homes were discovered to be inappropriate for adapting to accommodate wheelchair accessibility. The identified problems included a stretched kitchen layout, a narrow space, undersized kitchen, poor traffic, and kitchen located near entrance. The study showed that these methods can help wheelchair users who are planning to make their homes wheelchair-accessible.

THE IMPACT OF VERTICAL COLLECTIVE HOUSING ON SOCIAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN CONSTANTINE CITY

This research examines how vertical and collective housing in Constantine city affects residents' habits, traditions, and social relationships. We investigate the impact of these space-efficient architectural models on social dynamics and urban living patterns. Vertical construction and collective housing have emerged as preferred solutions to urban housing challenges, offering pragmatic answers to urgent shelter needs. However, the transition to high-rise and communal living presents residents with a markedly different lifestyle, often conflicting with their established cultural and social norms. Our study explores this sociological shift, examining how residents adapt to their new environment in vertical and collective housing. We investigate how this transition reshapes community interactions and traditional practices within Constantine's urban fabric.

Comparison of Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Waves in Different Parts of Residential Houses in Yazd City

Introduction: Extremely low frequency (ELF) waves are less than 300 Hz. Electrical devices with city electricity are one of the most important sources of generating ELF waves. The main objective of this research was to investigate and compare the magnetic fields produced by ELF electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF) waves in different parts of residential houses in Yazd city. Material and Methods: Thirty-three houses were selected, and an EMF-828 was used (made in Taiwan) for ELF-EMF intensity measurement in three parts of the kitchen, living room, and bedroom and three modes of Normal, OFF, and ON electrical instruments. Results: Two-way ANOVA was used to compare two-by-two ELF waves in three modes: OFF, Normal, and ON. A significant value was obtained (p-value=0.036) in OFF and ON modes in the living room. Similar results were for kitchen (p-value=0.014) in two modes of ON and OFF. However, there was not a significant relationship (p>0.05) between the mean intensity of ELF-EMF waves and the studied building parameters. Conclusion: The mean intensity of the ELF waves in different modes was not the same in kitchen and was in the order of ON> Normal> OFF that could be related to high-wave generation equipment. The comparison of mean intensity ​​of ELF-EMF waves in different locations of the investigated houses was much lower than the standard level set by ICNIRP. Preventing the simultaneous use of high-power electrical instruments led to both save consumption and reduce EMF-ELF waves exposure risk.

A STAND-ALONE HYBRID POWER SYSTEM BASED ON PV ENERGY AND HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS WITH ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS

This article is focused on the construction of a stand-alone residential 5-kW hybrid power system to feed different domestic loads at a typical house in Thi-Qar City, Iraq, including lighting loads, Table fan, Smartphone charger, TV, Microwave and Cooler. The stand-alone residential 5-kW hybrid power system consists of PV generator, PEMFC, storage batteries, Electrolyzer and hydrogen tank. The battery and hydrogen subsystem, composed of a fuel cell (FC), electrolyzer, and hydrogen storage tank, act as energy storage and support systems. The research in steps includes the design of the hybrid system. A program has been used in MATLAB to size system components in order to match the load of the site in the most cost-effective way. Evaluation of the economic feasibility of the same hybrid system when using a solar tracking system for photovoltaic cells. The simulation results demonstrate the hybrid system's ability to supply the required electrical energy to the loads, as well as the increase in hydrogen production when using the solar tracking system, which makes it possible to store excess hydrogen in the long term for later use when the photovoltaic energy decreases according to the seasons of the year.

Disparities Between Older Adults’ Potential and Realized Access to Community-Based Care: A Multilevel Analysis of Geo-Referenced Check-In Data from Senior Centers in Nanjing, China

Community-based care services offered by senior centers are vital for supporting older adults’ independent living. The number of senior centers has escalated in China in recent years. Despite scholarly interest in the potential accessibility of senior centers, research on older adults’ realized access remains scarce. Using the geo-referenced check-in data of 2382 users of senior centers in Nanjing, China, this study aims to fill this gap by examining the disparities between older adults’ potential and realized access to senior centers and the influence of multilevel spatial and non-spatial factors. This study indicates that potential access is often significantly overestimated compared with the actual accessibility of senior centers, with older adults’ distances of realized access (mean = 1319 m) being considerably greater than potential access (mean = 325 m). Spatial and regression analyses confirm that older adults living in newly built, lower-priced houses in the inner city are more likely to travel longer distances to reach senior centers. Spatial proximity is less effective in predicting realized access for those living further from senior centers. Instead, the location and service quality of senior centers play a more prominent role. These findings enrich our understanding of older adults’ access to community-based care, informing planning and policy interventions for the development of age-friendly communities.

Impact of COVID-19 Restrictions on Elderly Mobility and Emergency SOS Alarm Responses: A GPS-Based Study in the Czech Republic.

Understanding the impact of pandemic measures on elderly mobility is crucial for shaping public health responses. This retrospective study assesses the changes in mobility of 216 elderly individuals (average age 84 years) in the Czech Republic before and during COVID-19 restrictions, using two years of GPS tracking data. We conducted statistical analyses across various physical, demographic, and social factors. Data were analyzed for mobility patterns, SOS alarm usage, and relationships between mobility and factors such as age group, body mass index, sex, city size, and housing type. During the study, 4409 SOS alarms were triggered, with only 16.6% requiring action. Alarms triggered outside the home decreased from 34% pre-COVID-19 to 29% during COVID-19, reflecting reduced outdoor activity. Mobility decreased by 43.9% overall during the pandemic. The largest year-on-year decline in mobility was in May, reaching 57.6%. However, 10% of the participants exhibited increased mobility. Factors such as age group, body mass index, sex, city size, and type of housing were analyzed, and we found that city size and housing type did not significantly influence mobility levels. These findings highlight the substantial decline in elderly mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasize the need for tailored interventions, such as outdoor mobility programs and telemedicine, to support elderly populations during public health crises.

Inclusionary housing policy and practice in South African cities: planning as a spatial transformation tool

AbstractGlobally, housing forms an integral part of accessing the wide range opportunities that cities offer, however, inequality can be exacerbated when significant segments of the inhabitants are excluded from the real estate market or through inaction by the state. The need for affordable housing in cities with hyper-property markets is of global concern for public sector authorities that are pursuing goals of socially just and economically inclusive cities. In the global south, inclusionary housing policies and associated practices have emerged as important tools to increase access for those excluded from the opportunities available in towns and cities. In South Africa, the post-1994 democratic state has continued with the apartheid era practice of providing subsidised housing for the majority urban residents on the outskirts of towns and cities, thereby further entrenching poverty traps and racially based separate developments. Contrary to practice, the state’s well-documented policy position is to reverse the legacy of apartheid through spatial transformation so that cities and towns become economically more inclusive and socially just. It is argued that this requires prioritising the provision of affordable housing in urban centres of towns and cities that offer meaningful working, residing, shopping, recreational and other social opportunities. Although inclusionary housing policy has emerged internationally as an important mechanism to spatially transform urban areas, this forms only one component of a wider range of other possible public interventions. These framework mechanisms could include broader housing development policies, legislation and programmes as well as the urban development policies, spatial planning and land use management practices and incentives. Other incentives that can be used as leverage include the use of publicly owned property (land and buildings), capital infrastructure and development incentives. The public sector can offer both direct and indirect financial assistance and tax incentives to support an inclusionary housing policy. Critically, this should be contingent on the public sector understanding the feasibility, risk and benefits associated with housing projects pursued by private sector real estate developers.

June Jordan’s Political Theory of Redesign

This essay examines June Jordan’s design writings to elaborate a political theory of redesign in her work. I show that Jordan’s redesign offers political principles for reimagining space at multiple scales and speaks to the question of how more livable, beautiful worlds may be wrought from the material contexts in which we presently live. Against the grain of the dismantling of public goods in the late twentieth century, Jordan re-envisioned public city spaces and housing with dignity and room for human flourishing. Her primary barometer for design was the fullest expression of human aliveness—she insisted that the built environment should “[cherish] as it amplifies the experience of being alive.” Jordan’s visionary pragmatism anticipates what Deva Woodly calls the “radical Black feminist pragmatism” of the twenty-first century’s Movement for Black Lives and speaks to contemporary abolitionist thought and struggles over the future of public goods.

Gentrificación? We know her

This article responds to Ben Gerlofs and Ernesto López Morales’ article, “¿Quién es gentrificación (‘who is gentrificación’)?” It explores the term “blanqueamiento,” which emerged from Mexico City housing activism, highlighting its ability to reveal the interlaced racism, corruption, and cultural erasure in urban transformation. The response discusses how “gentrificación nos queda corto” (“gentrification falls short”) and the necessity of new terms like “blanqueamiento” to address the complexities of urban development. By examining local discourses and the role of scholars, activists, and journalists, the paper underscores the importance of diverse terminologies in advancing urban spatial justice. It argues that while “gentrification” has facilitated global conversations, terms like “blanqueamiento” are crucial for highlighting different aspects of the process, thereby advancing efforts to dismantle structures of inequality and envision more just urban futures.

Investigating the housing and transportation burden in a Ghanaian city

ABSTRACT Although there is a strong relationship between housing and transportation (H+T) spending, traditional housing affordability estimates from sub-Saharan Africa exclude transportation costs. Also, the H+T literature has few case studies from small cities and developing countries. This dearth of research makes it difficult to understand the housing burden and provide workable solutions. This paper measures H+T affordability in Koforidua, Ghana, based on rental and transportation costs. A household survey comprising 600 renting households was conducted and analyzed using group comparisons and Ordinary Least Square regressions. The results showed that H+T consumes approximately 56% of household income. This is a huge household burden considering the high unemployment rates in developing countries. Household income and size are significantly associated with H+T spending. Interestingly, smaller households have a marginal propensity to spend on H+T than larger households due to dependency ratio and housing choices. We recommend transport and housing subsidies, and affordable housing to ameliorate the H+T burden. Other policy recommendations and actions have been discussed to guide policymakers.

Crisis of housing cooperatives in Mexico City: A struggle for Palo Alto

This article features a conversation with Luis Márquez Cruz and Fabiola Carrera from the Palo Alto Cooperative, delving into the history and ongoing struggles of one of Mexico City's oldest housing cooperatives. Formed in the 1980s based on principles of solidarity, mutual aid, and self-management, the cooperative provided affordable housing to working-class families. However, changes to cooperative laws in 1994 halted new cooperative projects and shifted government support to private developers. Today, Palo Alto faces internal divisions as some members push for the cooperative's dissolution and sale of property amidst rising real estate prices, while others fight to preserve collective ownership. The article explores the cooperative’s international alliances, political training, and grassroots organizing efforts, highlighting the urgency of defending cooperative housing as an alternative to Mexico City's increasingly commodified and exclusionary housing market.

MENGANALISIS FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI PERMINTAAN KREDIT PEMILIKAN RUMAH

The increasing need for housing encourages people take other alternatives, such as using Home Ownership Loans (KPR) as an alternative in obtaining housing. There are some factors that influence the community as consumers in taking / using mortgages, some factors include customer income, house prices, interest rates, down payments, loan terms, and the simultaneous influence of all factors. This study aims to provide an overview of the factors that influence the demand for mortgage loans in Watubangga urban village housing in Kendari city. The method used in this research uses descriptive quantitative, where this approach explains the phenomenon of the situation, measures the relationship and draws conclusions based on the use of numbers. The findings of this study are partial factors that affect mortgage credit such as customer income, price of a house and time period are positively significant, which means that the increase in these partial factors increases the community's intention to take out a mortgage. However, it is inversely proportional to partial factors such as interest rates and down payments. Even so, the effect of these factors is simultaneously positively significant.

Mismatches between the Supply and Demand of Public Rental Housing in Chinese Cities

Mismatches between the Supply and Demand of Public Rental Housing in Chinese Cities

The king of martyrs

AbstractHow can people talk about the past in a deeply fractured society, wounded by two centuries of colonial and postcolonial violence? In Oran—Algeria's second‐largest city—people find creative ways to speak without speaking about unspeakable pasts. They do this by creating poetic parallelism between urban forms—from skeletons of buildings to martyr images—in everyday speech and image‐events. In poetics, parallelism deploys similar linguistic forms to suggest equivalence of meaning for certain effects. In everyday life, parallelism is emergent social action that brings new publics to life through its performance. This parallelism enables ordinary people to talk to each other across entrenched sociopolitical divides, especially in contexts of authoritarian censorship. Through poetic parallelism, Oranis revivify the martyrs of independence as agentive witnesses to their decaying city's housing crisis. In doing so, they reconfigure the relationship between the colonial past and postcolonial present.

Heritage Regeneration Models for Traditional Courtyard Houses in a Northern Chinese City (Jinan) in the Context of Urban Renewal

The fundamental disputes in urban heritage regeneration stem from variations in power dynamics and inherent value systems among stakeholders. Addressing conflicts and power differentials involving governmental bodies, market forces, community residents, experts, and scholars is crucial for fostering sustainable urban heritage development. Recently, these contradictions have grown more pronounced as China’s urbanization has transitioned from rapid expansion to a phase focused on existing urban assets. In the present research, the typical traditional courtyard-style residential buildings in Jinan, a historic city in northern China, were selected as the object of study. These houses often suffer from problems such as outdated infrastructure and low living conditions and have become difficult to adapt to contemporary urban life. A case study approach was employed focusing on a representative courtyard house to develop models for renewing and regenerating urban heritage, specifically tailored to traditional courtyard houses. The aim was to address conflicts and power disparities among urban heritage stakeholders through diverse mechanisms. Methodologically, the research integrates historical study and field investigation, participatory analysis, and policy analysis. Primary data sources include field surveys, historical research, oral interviews, and drone aerial photography. Models were constructed in the present study—namely, the heritage self-renewal, heritage revitalization, and heritage transformation models—for traditional courtyard houses. These models were designed to foster sustainable urban heritage development through collaborative efforts across various stakeholders and administrative levels. They will optimize the renewal mechanism of urban heritage, thus providing diversity and multiple possibilities for the preservation and reuse of architectural heritage in China. They aim to realize comprehensive urban heritage values, including vitality, health, efficiency, and equity, while accommodating the interests of diverse stakeholders.

Renewed Theories and Discourses of 21st Century; City Planning and Housing Design COVID-19 and Beyond, Sustainable, and Green Design

This research delves into the future housing theories of the 21st century, focusing on recent transformations in both urban planning and housing projects and models. Despite the world's anticipation of a vast sustainable transformation since the late 20th century, the first quarter of the 21st century was confronted with an unexpected event: humanity found itself amidst a pandemic that significantly transformed the world. The post-COVID-19 era has guided significant and enduring changes in various aspects from urban planning to living styles, working patterns, housing models, and typologies. This research presents renewed perspectives, based on theoretical dialogues, and discourses that aim to understand the transformation period with recent events specifically housing. The research also includes the perspective of housing in the past aims to contribute to comprehension of this new era and aid in shaping future urban and housing planning strategies. The theoretical basis is to investigate new methods and techniques in urban, and housing planning that have addressed climate-related issues since the 1980s and the subsequent pandemic period. According to the findings obtained in the research, COVID-19 and sustainability initially considered different phenomena, pandemic is essentially triggered and contributed to sustainable city planning, and housing design. While the public perception often distinguishes between COVID-19 and drivability as distinct design concepts, the research reveals a nuanced reality. Despite apparent differences, it is discerning that similar ideas and design principles aim for a healthier housing concept in airier, and greener areas both in terms of housing planning, and models. This intricates a close conceptual relationship between pandemic-induced design adaptations and sustainable concepts underscores the complexity of contemporary urban and housing planning paradigms.

Effects of an extreme heat event on indoor conditions of social heritage housing in Mediterranean climate

Social heritage housing in Mediterranean historic cities is particularly vulnerable to climate change hazards as protection policies lead to its exclusion from energy retrofitting programmes, leaving their residents - at higher risk of fuel poverty and the heat-island effect – defenceless. Increasingly frequent heatwaves can potentially produce “overheating” in these buildings, a thermal state that impedes people's comfort with harmful consequences to their health. Other indoor air quality factors, like humidity and CO₂ levels, also affect residents' health. The objective of this research is to evaluate the actual indoor environmental quality of three occupied dwellings in social buildings of high heritage value located in two historic cities in Andalusia (Spain) during the extreme heat events that occurred in 2022. A monitoring campaign was conducted and the data collected over the summer was analysed and evaluated using existing metrics. Our results show that the CO2 concentration rates generally remained below the upper limit of 1000 ppm in all cases, probably due to the high air infiltration rates measured (5.83 h−1, 4.39 h−1 and 14.65 h−1). On the contrary, the relative humidity rates were outside the acceptable range (45–60 %) for 90 % of the occupied hours in all cases. In the warmest city, overheating was continuous and severe in all rooms, according to the metric adopted (CIBSE standards TM52 and TM59 under the adaptive thermal comfort model). The situation was particularly critical in the free-running bedroom, but the overheating index values in the living rooms, where air conditioning was installed and used about 50 % of the occupied time, also deviated significantly from the acceptable limits.