Housing Transformation Research Articles

Distance and proximity matters: understanding housing transformation through micro-morphology in informal settlements

Informality is a global phenomenon entrenched in the Global South and increasingly emerging in the Global North. In dense and compact informal settlements commonly seen in the Global South, housing transformation to meet resident needs typically occurs through small-scale physical alterations and adaptations. Within this setting, the aim of this paper is to provide a substantive assessment of the dynamics of change and spatial complexities of housing in informal settlements by deconstructing the micro-morphology occurring in built and unbuilt spaces. This includes the space where housing and alleyways meet; namely, the public-private interface. The paper achieves this by; (i) defining a set of interface typologies that constitute the form of the domestic housing space pushing into alleyways by using the key variables of distance and proximity, (ii) quantifying the housing typologies so as to examine types, patterns and processes of transformation, and (iii) understanding the basic planning and regulatory framework in which households undertake these adaptations. The method used in this research is a case study of kampung Lebak Siliwangi in northern Bandung, Indonesia. The paper makes a major contribution to the literature in terms of identifying principles by which housing transformation practices occur through micro-morphology which is locally self-organised and incremental. Residents undertake little or no consultation with neighbours or local governance leaders when making changes, though they observe and replicate the micro-scale changes made to housing form by other residents. The boundaries of the built (housing) and unbuilt spaces (alleyway) are fluid due to ‘interface creep’ which allows housing to create new building lines, interface types and alleyway alignments. In this setting, the notion of ‘interface creep’ and the reliance of residents on small-scale distance and proximity changes are a key narrative of the paper as they allow adaptability, having strong ties to the way housing and alleyways are locally regulated, controlled and governed. On the other hand, this dependence threatens housing conditions, sociality, access, multifunctionality and economic modes of production in public spaces (the alleyway). The paper concludes with comments of the implications of the research that could be applied to theoretical and methodological frameworks for a deeper understanding of informal housing in the Global North.

What's wrong with investment apartments? On the construction of a ‘financialized’ rental investment product in Vienna

This article sheds light on the investment-driven construction sector in Vienna and provides a critique of the Austrian rental investment product Vorsorgewohnung (VSW), a tax-saving investment construction primarily aimed at small private investors. Building on ‘new’ new economic sociology and a performative take on markets, the focus is on the social construction and the making of a market around this product. The transformation of housing into an investment product is examined by drawing on the advertising discourse, especially the VSW-market makers' webites. The negative effects of financialized housing production on the micro and urban level are also discussed. Against economic common sense, it is argued that the VSW market is not a ‘natural’ matter of a given demand and supply, but the product of a twofold social construction to which the Austrian state and the local banks make a significant contribution. What appears rational and advantageous from the investors’ individual point of view is, in various ways, a disadvantage for the urban community.

Housing transformation, rent gap and gentrification in Ghana’s traditional houses: Insight from compound houses in Bantama, Kumasi

This paper investigates housing transformation, the rent gap and gentrification in compound houses in Bantama, a sub-metro in Ghana’s second-largest city, Kumasi. It argues that the ongoing housing transformation has altered the ‘classic’ features of compound houses, namely the dwelling unit, the use of shared space and the socio-demographic profile of households. It demonstrates that the physical transformation of compound houses predominantly involves the modification of dwelling units with shared facilities in compound houses into apartments where tenants have exclusive access to bathrooms, toilets, kitchens and electricity meters. Following such transformation, landlords obtain the rental power to capture at least 100 percent uplift in rents payable. There is evidence that the traditional form of housing that has, for many decades, provided shelter to low-income households is undergoing gentrification. The paper concludes by reflecting on the potential consequences of this transformation and makes a case for urgent policy intervention in the ongoing transformation of compound houses.

Edilizia residenziale nel paesaggio urbanistico di Tolemaide in Cirenaica

The article presents the private houses of Ptolemais’ inhabitants in the context of the history and urban development of a city with a thousand-year-long history. Four periods can be distinguished in the history of Ptolemais: the first since the creation of the city’s final spatial development plan in the 2nd century BC until the Jewish Revolt in 115–117 AD; the second in the 2nd–3rd centuries AD under the sign of development and growing aspirations of Ptolemais; the third in the 4th century AD until the first half of the 5th century AD, when the city served as the capital of the province of Libya Superior; and the fourth, from the end of the 5th century AD until the mid-7th century AD, in which Ptolemais, after a short period of crisis related to the nomad invasions, flourished again until the appearance of the Arabs, marking the end of the ancient city, although not the end of settlement in its area. Within this historical framework, changes in the city’s buildings and the transformation of private houses can be identified, and various cultural influences associated with the arrival of new residents at different times with their baggage of experience or with the more or less significant presence of representatives of the civil and military administration of the Roman Empire can be seen.

Persistence of the socialist collective housing areas (KTTs): the evolution and contemporary transformation of mass housing in Hanoi, Vietnam

This study examined the spatial patterns and transformation of the socialist collective housing areas (KTTs). The areas experienced physical and functional changes with Hanoi’s urbanization after the country’s reforms. The KTTs were originally built on the outskirt of Hanoi during the 1960s–1980s. The development was influenced by the state-led mass housing model originated from the micro-district concept of the former Soviet Union. With the urban expansion of Hanoi, the KTTs have become situated in the city’s central area. The study attempted to analyze the location of Hanoi’s KTTs based on the distance from the inner-city area. The outcome of physical transformation, the use of spaces, housing prices, and conditions of the surrounding areas of the KTTs were investigated based on a resident survey of 240 households and field studies in six KTTs sites. Changes in the use of spaces on the ground-level, addition of self-extended structure from existing housing units, and wholesale redevelopment were observed from the field studies. The degree and pattern of changes were different by locational types. The KTTs located near the inner-city area with good accessibility was the most actively transformed. The study showed that the living conditions of the KTTs were influenced by the location as well as social and economic factors such as transitional living culture and an increase in the residents’ income. Furthermore, the study found that Hanoi’s KTTs play an essential role as adequate urban housing due to their locational advantages, the presence of an intimate community, and affordable housing prices.

Studentification in Germany: How investors generate profits from student tenants in Goettingen and the impacts on urban segregation

This paper presents a study about studentification in the medium-sized university town of Goettingen, Germany. While many studentification studies focus on the transformation of owner-occupied houses into houses of multiple occupation, this study is about displacement in the rental housing market. I argue that within this context, the displacement of marginalised social groups takes place through rental prices and private landlords’ preferences for students of higher education. Hence, I focus on how landlords extract high rents from their property without making serious investments and investigate landlords’ strategies for increasing their return on investment via higher education student tenants. I explain their strategies, grounding this research in semi-structured interviews with landlords, property managers and real estate agents, complemented by statistical data. I show that different rental strategies landlords apply lead to the separation of different social groups. Hence, this paper argues that the strategies of landlords have an important impact on urban segregation and urban development in cities. Therefore, a deeper investigation of these strategies would help us achieve a better understanding of how the process of studentification proceeds and how displacement takes place.

Transformasi Spasial Hunian Pada Eks-Backpacker Enclaves Studi Kasus: Jalan Jaksa, Jakarta Pusat

This study aims to discover the extent of spatial transformation in residential areas on Jalan Jaksa, known as the ex-backpacker enclaves due to the concept of supply and demand. Spatial function, building facades, and corridors in residentials are the assessed variables. This study uses a qualitative method. Data collection is done by field observations, interviews, and literature review. The sampling method is using a non-random type or probability sample. The results of the analysis showed that from 26 samples there were 12 building/ residential samples (46.1%) that underwent installation, meaning that the building characteristics were adaptive, five buildings/ residential samples (19.2%) had insertion, meaning that the building was considered to be quite adaptive, and nine buildings/ residential samples (34 %) experiencing intervention, which means the building is not adaptive. In addition, the most changing category is the transformation in housing into multi-story buildings, lodging, and mixed-use buildings.

Assetization: The Chinese Path to Housing Financialization

Although the literature on the financialization of housing pays most attention to mortgaged and securitized homeownership and the penetration of capital into subsidized rental housing, forms of financialization are varied. In China, housing commodification and privatization has underpinned a growth in homeownership. One of the outcomes of financialization of housing is the transformation of owner-occupied housing into a financial asset for households’ wealth. Despite a relatively low level of residential mortgage lending in China, both the absolute volume of mortgages and the proportion of gross domestic product they represent are now rising. Housing value appreciation has driven a significant increase in the financing of housing consumption through multiple channels. This article examines these channels and suggests that the financialization of housing in China is a critical part of the country’s overall development model. It is further argued that the root of housing financialization in China is not mortgage securitization but the creation of owner-occupied housing as a financialized asset to propel the wider financialization of the Chinese economy in the context of state-controlled financial environment.

TRANSFORMATION AS A MEANS OF INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF THE USE OF LIVING SPACE

The increase in the cost of housing and its maintenance makes people, especially the young, to reduce the area of premises in which they live. Confirmation of this fact is the emergence and dissemination of this type of housing as a smart apartment. In some countries, the area of the accommodation dropped to 11 m2. The situation, which can lead to deterioration of living conditions, which will negatively affect the development of society. Architecture and construction professionals should offer their, purely professional, solutions to this problem.Research objective: Search and development of proposals for the effective use of living space by attracting methods of transformation of architectural space. Research objective: Analysis of practical and scientific experience in the use of transformation in housing; Development of a principled decision (scheme) transformation of a dwelling space, which can be used in the multi-storey building. Object of study: Residential space in multi-storey building. Subject of study: Transformation of residential space as a means of improving the efficiency of its use.Gradually formed the whole architectural direction-housing with limited space. In Asia, this capsule housing that has the world's largest limitation of living space per person. In Europe and America, this smart apartment.Proposals for the solution of capsule housing developed and realized the famous architect Kisse Kurokawa in the project "Nakagin Capsule Tower (Capsule tower" Nakagin "). The building consists of two interrelated towers (11 and 13 storeys), where 140 prefabricated modules, "capsules" (Fig. 2) are located.A certain area of effective use of the inner dwelling space was proposed and implemented when creating houses on wheels. An example of such a house is a BeauEr 3X (Fig 3).The combination of examined variants of transformation of internal space will allow to use the preweight of each of them. The article proposes one of the possible solutions for housing transformation, which can be applied in the multi-storey building (developed with the participation of the architect Pedchenko A.). The essence of the proposal lies in the fact that the apartment has a moving part, which is put forward, as in the example of houses on wheels (Fig. 5).This transformation provides a significant increase in the area of the property.The prospects for using transformation to use residential space effectively are considered. Based on the study of conceptual architecture and engineering solutions, a proposal has been made to transform the living space in high-rise buildings.Operation of houses on wheels in different climatic conditions indicates that the design is not afraid of the effects of weather conditions. And this makes the real implementation of such decisions in multi-storey building. The architecture of facades of such houses acquires certain specifics related to their construction (Fig. 6). The façade is constantly changing, depending on the position of individual apartments-blocks.

Transformation of Reading Houses in Ukraine in the Second Half of the 1940s - First Half of the 1960s

Transformation of Reading Houses in Ukraine in the Second Half of the 1940s - First Half of the 1960s

Continuity of tradition: Vernacularity of the modern Javanese house transformation in Laweyan, Surakarta

Javanese architecture has transformed from vernacular tradition to modern. The outward appearance of modern Javanese houses in Laweyan seems heavily influenced by European styles because they are more permanent and are considered less suitable for a tropical climate. However, these houses are the work of the Laweyan people which are based on the Javanese house principle of ‘shelter’ architecture and are in harmony with the climate. This study attempts to understand the philosophical basis of the Javanese people in building houses. The method used in this study is a qualitative case study that seeks to uncover the vernacular concepts shaping some modern Javanese houses in Laweyan. This research has identified several vernacular strategies in the development of modern Javanese homes i.e., 1) responding to the tropical climate by using traditional Javanese architecture; 2) applying up-to-date construction technology and materials; 3) recycling used materials and elements from the past to remember and honor ancestral heritage. This paper concludes that the vernacularity of the Laweyan house does not always conflict with tradition. It has even enriched traditional knowledge, namely the principle of memetri and has helped the Javanese people in realizing their ideal homes that still adhere to traditions.

“Let’s Get Ready to Crumble”: Black Municipal Leadership and Public Housing Transformation in the United States

U.S. cities transform public housing. Black municipal leadership (BML) may influence the scale and character of public housing removal and redevelopment. Informed by the “Black urban regime” literature, this study assesses whether presence and duration of BML, coupled with other factors, explains variation in public housing transformation for a sample of large cities. Its findings suggest that, controlling for other factors, BML is associated with moderately greater scales of public housing removal in the 1990s and 2000s, but BML is not associated with the “rate of return” by former public housing residents or new residence by public housing eligible households in Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere (HOPE VI) communities as of 2016. The findings invite further research on the intraracial dynamics and policy consequences of BML. They build, too, on public housing transformation scholarship, raising new questions about how municipal politics shape public housing and other sites of subsidized residence for low-income denizens of cities.

Three Local Organizing Strategies to Implement Place-Based School Integration Initiatives in a Mixed-Income Community

This paper explores two policy efforts to revitalize public housing communities: education reform and HOPE VI. Chicago underwent transformation of housing and schools from 2000 to 2014. I examine school integration planning efforts of three local actors in a Chicago neighborhood and ask how do actors make integration strategies work? This research investigates how efforts to remedy existing segregation in a Chicago neighborhood combined housing and school integration efforts through a single case study approach comprised of 20 in-depth interviews. Findings show that two approaches encouraged fairness in the residential mix, but did not promote an integrated educational experience. The third approach shows how a purposeful integration strategy works as part of a place-based effort. This study provides a lens to understand ongoing local community organizing efforts supporting education reform in a Chicago neighborhood and offers lessons learned by local actors about effective approaches to address the barriers to building mixed income communities.

La modernización de Puerto Vallarta ¿Renovación urbana o turistificación asistida?

In recent years, the authorities of Puerto Vallarta have embarked on an urban regeneration pro‑ cess that allows real estate developers to excessively build apartments for tourism purposes, as evidence by the current situation in two of the iconic places in the destination: The Romantic Zone and Marina Vallarta. The objective of the work is to analyze the touristification process that the city faces as a result of real estate development and the transformation of housing and commerce in these areas. The study is of a mixed type and includes discourses about the modernization of the city and the perception of residents in local newspa‑ pers, the results of which show the accelerated process of touristification facing the city.

Vernacular Regeneration: low-income housing, private policing and urban transformation in inner-city Johannesburg by Aidan Mosselson

Vernacular Regeneration: low-income housing, private policing and urban transformation in inner-city Johannesburg by Aidan Mosselson

The right to housing and the social ‘marketing’. Reflections on your conception and transformation of a right to a produc

The relationship between the right to housing and social marketing is analyzed under a critical conception of the current situation that the housing sector in Mexico is going through. The research orientation line starts from the two categories and constitutes our starting point in the construction and structuring of the theoretical-conceptual framework. Same that begins with analysis of the contributions of various national and international authors on the correlation with other phenomena related to habitability factors, in order to show the process of housing transformation of a right to a product of the real estate sector, in where the income of the economically active population determines the acquisition of a home, which does not have the minimum habitability conditions of well-being established by international organizations. The discussion tries to take new visions of analysis, both in the economic, political and social field, which is becoming more relevant as a social paradigm, regarding the current problems that our cities have and in the ways of acting of the sectors that have the power of decision in its construction. Although the thesis entails greater scope, this paper presents only some of the elements of analysis that allow the debate about one of the most pressing problems of the city and its society in general.

SOCIAL NETWORKS AND NEIGHBORHOOD SATISFACTION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN OLDER ADULTS: AN ATLANTA STUDY OF RELOCATION

Atlanta was the first major city to offer federally-funded public housing and it is one of the first to demolish it. Unlike other cities undergoing public housing transformation through demolition under Housing for People Everywhere Program (HOPE VI), the Atlanta Housing Authority (AHA) targeted senior housing as part of the demolition process. Investigators conducting the Urban Health Initiative (UHI) study collected three waves of data (baseline, 6-month post-relocation, and 24-month post-relocation) from relocated seniors and a comparison group of seniors who aged-in-place. To understand the interactions between public housing residents and varied components of their environments, including social networks and neighborhood satisfaction, I will use place attachment theory to frame my research, as sense of place is rooted within the interplay of community cultural wealth components. I will also use aging-in-place theory, which refers to individuals’ ability to grow old in their own homes and communities, while adjusting to needed modifications associated with aging and mobility. Analysis of Covariance will be applied to understand the relationship between social networks, relocation, and neighborhood satisfaction among older adults who age-in-place, compared to those who relocated.

Digital platform architecture design based on JavaEE

With the comprehensive popularization of electronic technology and the internet, more and more people prefer to use smart phones, tablets and other intelligent terminal devices to read digital information on apps or Web pages, which makes the traditional publishing industry to transform to digital service. Based on the platform of JavaEE, this project provides architecture design for the transformation of rail transit publishing house to digital publishing service, integrates the traditional publishing industry resource base, and brings great help to the utilization, optimization and management of knowledge resource base.

A framework for contextualising the formation and transformation of the medina in North Africa

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to offer a framework to contextualise the formation and transformation of three major medinas in North Africa, namely, Tripoli, Tunis and Fez. The framework is designed to identify key factors that formed these medinas in the first place, and key causes of transformation in reference to three distinctive forces: colonisation, modernisation and globalisation, which include political, economic and social changes that influenced the transformation process.Design/methodology/approachColonisation, modernisation and globalisation changed the physical appearance and urban fabric, introduced new architectural styles and at the same time changed the social structure, lifestyle, and the inhabitants’ perception and use of spaces within their medinas. Physical aspects of the transformation process are investigated using comparative case studies, while social aspects are studied through interviewing three main actors in housing: users, decision makers and professional architects.FindingsBy identifying key factors of formation and main drivers of transformation, together with analysing the physical and social aspects associated with the transformation process, the framework aims at developing a holistic, complex picture of housing transformation within a specific context: the medinas of North Africa. However, the framework is introduced as a valuable tool for exploring the transformation of other cities with relevant and similar context.Originality/valueThrough the use of comparative case studies and interviews, the study focuses on capturing the essence of traditional medinas, understanding the reality of social change within housing transformation and contextualising the physical aspects of housing transformation.

Transformation of stilt houses: a way to respond to the environment to be sustainable

One type of houses on stilts that are spread on the west coast of the Aceh region is rumoh santeut located in the Teunom area. This vernacular architecture is a residence that has been tested by climate and natural disasters for hundreds of years, but still stands strong and is still inhabited by the fourth generation today. The Teunom settlement environment can represent the characteristics of other settlements on the west coast of Aceh, because it is in the same natural conditions. These settlements often experience flooding due to the overflowing of the Krueng Teunom River which is located adjacent to the settlement. This paper discusses the principles and techniques of construction in the construction of houses on stilts, and how the elements of construction respond to environmental problems as sustainable construction through a process of architectural transformation. Data has been analyzed with qualitative descriptive methods to find out the factors that affect transformation, and how transformation occurs. The findings show that the nature and potential of the material affect the structure / construction, building components, and construction methods. The houses on stilts in Teunom have been transformed together with changes in the socio-cultural community and changes in the natural environment. The use of cement, brick, and iron has now resulted in changes in the method of construction and appearance of the house. Wooden stilt houses that are transformed can be divided into two types of construction, they are transformed into contemporary houses, and are transformed as new stage houses. How the ancestors took care of their homes, and the fact that these houses still exist, should be an example in modern society.