Housing Development Research Articles

Home-buying decisions influenced by the implementation of nature-based solutions: The case of Sponge City, Guiyang SW China

Urban floods induced by the compound effects of climate change and rapid urbanisation are one of the key challenges facing many Chinese cities. In 2013, China initiated the Sponge City Program (SCP) to address this issue via constructing/restoring green-blue infrastructure as Nature-Based Solutions (NBS). Various green and blue spaces have been integrated into traditional grey facilities to mitigate urban floods, provide recreational venues, and enhance the natural aesthetics of urban landscapes. While housing development has been actively included in NBS provision, it remains unclear whether and how homebuying decisions might be influenced by NBS implementation under the framework of the Sponge City Program. Our study uses Guiyang, one of the pilots selected by the central government for the construction of “Sponge City” via implementing NBS. In-depth semi-structured interviews (n = 25) were used to examine whether the multiple benefits generated by newly established green-blue (sponge) facilities would affect residents’ home-purchasing preferences/decisions. We found that the provision of a green and blue facility, and whether it is part of the SCP or not, significantly influences a homebuyers’ choice. This study sheds additional light on the nexus of end users (homebuyers) and NBS provision (developers) under the framework of the Sponge City Program, generating practical implications for stakeholder engagement for NBS implementation to achieve sustainable urbanization.

Multilevel effects of urban form and urban functional zones on housing prices: evidence from open-source big data

While the relationship between local housing prices and the urban form and distribution of urban functional zones in a single city is well-discussed, the conclusion is usually sensitive to a particular city context, and cross-city comparative study is limited. This study attempts to examine the influences of urban form and urban functional zone distribution on housing prices within and between cities after controlling the city-wide socio-economic and demographic differences. Based on multiple open-source big data, such as points-of-interest (POI) and historical housing transaction data, the hierarchical linear model is utilized to compare the housing market of 10 extra-large cities in China. Results indicate that the urban form and the urban functional zone distribution significantly influence housing prices after the socio-economic and demographic differences are controlled. For inter-city comparison, an urban form with high compactness, low centrality, low polycentricity, high density, and low dissimilarity in housing development is related to lower city-level housing prices. For intra-city, proximity to work centers, high-quality hospitals, and schools shows positive associations to housing prices.

Social networks and dispositional factors determining housing status of urban residents: evidence from Ethiopia

This article examines the social networks and dispositional factors that affect the housing status of urban residents. Despite their considerable role in the housing market, this paper stresses the limited attention these factors have received in housing studies. The study collected data from a sample of individuals in Sebeta, Ethiopia, and their impact on housing status was studied using various statistical and econometric methods. This study utilized empirical analysis to examine multiple social network factors, such as political affiliation, informal social networks, parental support, and past experiences in brokerage. The results highlighted the critical role that social and dispositional elements play in shaping housing status outcomes. Disparities in housing status were observed between individuals with and without social networks, and these differences were attributed to dispositional factors. The findings suggest that future housing development initiatives must account for individuals’ social and dispositional differences. Further research can build upon these findings to inform future housing policies that address these disparities.

Entangled Co-Design with a Trickster: Speculative Framing and Reframing

Speculative design, as a diverse set of methods that aim to offer critique, can be challenging to engage productively. In this design case, we share how a prior, stalled design project—an ambitious vision of interdisciplinary design education partnered with business and housing development projects in Santa Fe, New Mexico—provided compelling precedent as we sought to reframe during the COVID-19 pandemic. We recognized that solution-focused ways of working in the prior project left the design problem undefined. As we began the design work detailed in this case, we leveraged the perspectives and design knowledge of our interdisciplinary team of faculty and students. While design cases often emphasize the designed training or program, we focus on our reframing process, sharing vignettes as we prepared to and participated in activities at a design workshop, and then used our own design practices to engage in problem framing workshops. In sharing these accounts, we characterize the pandemic as a trickster and speculative co-designer, who revealed much about how our efforts were entangled with institutional structures. Across these punctuated vignettes of design work, we highlight how an initial broad problem frame invited this trickster to participate and how the application of problem framing tools wrested framing agency from the trickster. Collectively, this anchored our attention to systemic inequities in ways that troubled notions of sustainability.

Beyond entrepreneurialism: revealing multiple logics of suburban housing development politics in the global city

ABSTRACT There is a burgeoning literature in urban studies on the role of suburbs in the development of global cities. For too long, it is argued, suburbs have been marginalised within urban theory and research. At the same time, planning systems are increasingly driven by growth-centred arrangements that seek to boost private investment and convert complex places into development spaces. Such approaches are built on the experiences of urban centres and the market conditions found within them. Drawing on the London example, the paper develops existing work on global suburbanisms to identify the multiple logics and variable practices of housing policy and delivery that exist within global cities. It makes three contributions. First, it highlights the continuing significance of place-based representative local government in shaping suburban variability. Second, it develops a typology of political clusters to demonstrate the variables that shape the diversity of approaches to housing development policy and delivery that exist. And third, it analyses the interactions between physical landscapes and the rolling-out of market-led models and planning systems. Collectively, the paper points to a methodology for the analysis of suburban environments in cities beyond London, especially those in which political boundaries and physical environments act as a constraint on spatial expansion.

Experimental Evidence Shows That Housing Vouchers Provided Measurable Benefits, Including Parent Stress Reduction.

This article presents early findings on the causal effects of a housing voucher on family stress, which plays an important role in children's healthy development. Using the Housing and Children's Healthy Development study, which is the only randomized controlled trial of housing vouchers (conducted in the Cleveland, Ohio, and Dallas, Texas, metropolitan areas), we found measurable health and related benefits accruing to families who received vouchers even though half of those who leased housing with vouchers only lived in that dwelling for roughly one year or less. Vouchers also substantially improved cost burdens, sufficiency of space, adequacy of heat, and daytime neighborhood safety. Our analysis shows that the affordability secured by the voucher (reduction of cost burden) played the most important role in reducing parent stress. One policy implication of the affordability findings is the need to keep families' housing cost burden affordable.

Understanding the Housing Preferences of Older Adults: Insights from a Study on Micro-Housing in Salt Lake City, U.S.

The main objective of this research was to investigate what older adults think about the idea of living in micro-housing as an affordable housing option in Salt Lake City. By conducting interviews with 20 individuals over 65 years old, we discovered that they prefer Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and micro apartments. Participants expressed concerns about tiny homes. The participants highlighted the importance of having a sense of community and access to amenities when choosing their housing. Additionally, they still preferred single-family homes because of space and financial factors. These findings offer insights for housing developers, architects, and policymakers who aim to create cities that are both sustainable and livable for people of all age groups.

Learning More From Homeless Point-in-Time Counts

Previous research has found that patterns of sheltered homelessness and characteristics of people who use shelters vary between point-prevalence and period-prevalence tallies, but there are no comparable data for unsheltered homelessness. We derive a three-year period-prevalence measure of unsheltered homelessness from data collected in a point-in-time count, by weighting individuals by the inverse number of months, out of the last 36, that they report being homeless. We illustrate using data from the 2022 Point-in-Time Count in Nashville/Davidson County Tennessee, which found 634 unsheltered people. We estimate that the three-year prevalence of unsheltered homelessness would be at least 3.5 times the one-night count, but that far fewer people would meet the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s definition of chronic homelessness. Over half of people sampled outdoors, especially those living with household members and pets, report never using shelter. Point-in-time counts can yield far more information useful for planning than the simple count itself.

Policy network evaluation of China’s rental housing market from the perspective of text measurement

In recent years, the Chinese government has gradually paid attention to the development of the rental housing market and began to issue a large number of relevant policies by the central and local governments in 2016. In view of the lack of systematic evaluation of rental housing market policy in China, this study constructed an interdependent multi-layer network of ‘policy objective-policy instrument-issuing department-stakeholder’ from the perspective of text measurement, and used network indexes to measure the global features of the four-dimensional sub-policy network and the differential characteristics of the network evolution process, the results are as follows: (i) The four policy instruments in the network of policy instruments, namely, instruction, supply leading, management system and management system reform, are leaders in the network. (ii) The absolute central node in the policy objective network is to increase the effective supply of rental housing. (iii) The central nodes in the issuing department network are housing development department and the land department. (iv) Market subject and public are the central clusters in the stakeholder network. (v) The network nodes of stakeholder policy instruments have the strongest correlation, and there are three clusters with obvious spatial distance segmentation.

Kaumātua needs and perspectives regarding urban papakāinga: a mixed methods observational study

ABSTRACT Safe, secure, suitable housing is often an unattainable reality for kaumātua (older Māori aged 55 years and over in this study) in Aotearoa New Zealand. Kaumātua, unfortunately, are at the forefront of the housing crisis, and struggle to find housing which meets their most basic needs. Therefore, many organisations are considering the development of urban papakāinga to meet their needs. The purpose of this study is to assess the needs of kaumātua currently in temporary, emergency or state housing situations to understand their perspectives about what factors enable successful urban papakāinga. The research design and methodology in this article apply a multi-method observational approach, guided by the He Pikinga Waiora (HPW) Implementation Framework. The main findings in this study include five cultural characteristics necessary within urban papakāinga developments; whanaungatanga (connections); kaitiakitanga (environmental care/ guardianship); manaakitanga (care for others); rangatiratanga (leadership, autonomy, or control); and haumarutanga (safety/security). In addition, key correlates of wellbeing indicators included housing suitability, community connection and a safe neighbourhood. These key needs and perspectives have important theoretical and practical implications for kaumātua wellbeing, and successful housing developments for Māori. Glossary of Kupu Māori words: Aotearoa: Māori name of New Zealand; haumarutanga: security, safety, or peace of mind; kaitiakitanga: environmental care, guardianship, or stewardship; kaumātua: older Māori aged 55 years and over; kaupapa Māori: Māori approach; koroua: older male; kuia: older female; manaakitanga: generosity, cherish, respect, care and hospitality; Māori: Indigenous people of Aotearoa-NZ; papakāinga: traditional Māori housing/community complex; Papatūānuku: Earth Mother; rangatiratanga: leadership, self-determination, autonomy, or control; Te Puāwaitanga o Ngā Waka: The Blossoming of Aspirations for All; tikanga: correct custom, procedure, or protocol; tūrangawaewae: a place of strength, belonging, connection, a place to stand; urban papakāinga: modern Māori housing/urban intergenerational village; wairuatanga: spirituality; whakapapa: decent, lineage, ancestor, or genealogy; whānau: family or closely connected kin group; whanaungatanga: connectedness, kinship, or relationships

Pengaruh Kepercayaan Konsumen Terhadap Developer Dalam Pelaksanaan Perjanjian Pengadaan Perumahan

The main problem examined in this context is how the developer fulfills its obligations to consumers who have made payments. The method used is banking mediation, aiming to provide a comprehensive, complete, and systematic overview of the implementation. This research is descriptive, where conclusions are drawn from general issues faced by consumers regarding specific problems. Furthermore, legal materials are analyzed to see if they can provide a solution or an overall picture of the issue. Thus, this study attempts to provide a comprehensive understanding of conflict resolution between developers and consumers in the context of housing development in Indonesia

Rent growth near rail stations after the Great Recession

This study provides an incisive analysis of U.S. rail station area rent trends from 2012 to 2016, post-Great Recession. Utilizing Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), Hierarchical Spatial Autoregressive (HSAR), and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) models, it uncovers complex interplays between rent changes and socioeconomic, as well as built environment factors. Key findings reveal that increased rents are associated with walkability, higher housing density, and predominantly White neighborhoods. Conversely, rent decreases correlate with diverse land use, higher Black population percentages, and locations further from rail stations or business districts. These results are critical for understanding rent dynamics in transit-oriented development areas, impacting diverse housing market sectors, including workforce and affordable housing. The study’s regional analysis highlights the need for geographically tailored approaches. This research informs policy on housing development and affordability, aiming to mitigate displacement risks for low-income, transit-dependent communities in gentrifying urban areas.

Atrial development as an economical type of complex high-density single-family housing in Poland

Atrial housing, as a type of high-density single-family, appeared in Poland in the 1960s and 1970s. First, in 1962, legal regulations were developed. This was followed by several atrium developments and research work. After 1990, it appeared in only a few publications, and in 2003, it disappeared from the legislation. The aim of the research presented in this article is to demonstrate whether it is possible to build an atrial house or a whole complex of atrial buildings today, based on existing legislation and planning conditions. To this end, the literature on the subject was studied, and 11 existing realisations from the 1970s were analysed. Based on the findings, an atrial house plan was developed, which in turn was used to develop an atrial housing complex located in one of the quarters of the Bialystok Local Spatial Development Plan. The results confirmed that nowadays, subject to certain specific conditions in the provisions of the plans and on the basis of the legal regulations in force, atrial buildings may be used, despite the fact that they are not referred to in the legislation on housing development.

Exploring resource-wise stakeholder engagements for low-income housing development in urban Punjab, Pakistan

The main phases of any housing project are planning, design, execution, regulation, and use. All the stakeholders involved in each phase can impact the project's status and progress. The study has explored the dynamics of acquiring five fundamental housing resources, i.e., physical, financial, construction capital, intellectual, and policy. The paper responds to the lack of research on resource acquisition and the patterns of stakeholder engagements, particularly in South Asian countries. The study provides the stakeholder model in the case of Pakistan as an interesting study of relationships between resource-acquiring patterns and engagement mechanisms that can be applied to other geographical contributions. Drawing on qualitative analysis from in-depth interviews with prime stakeholders, this paper concludes by highlighting policy resources as the focal point of resource-wise stakeholder engagement in low-income housing development. This paper highlights the complexities associated with amalgamated engagements with limited transparency on the patterns of resource acquisition for better navigating the provision of low-income housing in developing countries urbanizing at alarming rates.

Principles of social housing development in Spain

The issue of social housing has always been a vital concern for most countries, given its crucial role in ensuring a dignified life for citizens. Each country has a unique history and approaches to the development of social housing, reflecting distinct social, economic, and cultural requirements. Spain's practice in this area, developed over a long period, is particularly appealing and can be beneficial for Ukraine, which seeks to improve its own standards of social housing construction. This article examines the architectural features of social housing formation in Spain, based on the analysis of both historical and contemporary projects. Successful examples such as the Caño Roto housing complex, a symbol of modernism and high social experience, and the contemporary housing quarter Vivazz in Asturias, emphasizing their contribution to the transformation of the urban environment and creation of comfortable spaces for different population segments, are highlighted. Special attention is given to architectural innovations, energy efficiency, and the use of public spaces as centers of social interaction. The conclusions emphasize the importance of adapting social housing to changes in requirements and the social environment, highlighting its impact on improving the quality of life and forming communities.

Analysis Of Service User Satisfaction With The Performance Of Supervisory Consultants Based On Implementation Allocations In The Housing And Settlement Area Activities Of East Java Province

To realize better infrastructure development for housing and settlement facilities in East Java province and the success of the project, the government, especially in the PRKP sector of East Java Province, collaborates with service providers, one of which is supervisory consultants. This encourages supervisory consultants to improve their understanding of customer satisfaction. This research has several objectives, namely identifying variables related to the project management performance in the PRKP sector activities in East Java Province, measuring the customer satisfaction level of project management performance in the housing sector activities in East Java Province, and identifying the variables in the project management performance of the PRKP housing sector activities in East Java Province that need to be proposed for improvement or maintenance to enhance customer satisfaction. The research stages include the background of the research, formulation of the problem and research objectives, literature review, preliminary survey, data collection, data testing, and data analysis. The analysis method used is the customer satisfaction index and importance-performance analysis. The customer satisfaction index analysis results show a CSI value of 93.55%, indicating satisfaction. Meanwhile, the importance-performance analysis (IPA) results reveal an overall gap score of -13 and an overall conformity percentage of 94.61%, indicating that the project owner is not satisfied with the project management performance of the supervisory consultant. The importance-performance analysis (IPA) in this study identifies variables with high importance and satisfaction to be maintained, namely Integration Management, Scope Management, Schedule Management, Resource Management, Communication Management, and Procurement Management. Meanwhile Cost Management, Quality Management, Risk Management, and Stakeholder Management have low priority and need improvement.

Are well-designed places possible? A model of design governance intervention in the planning, design and development of new neighbourhoods

ABSTRACT UK planning policies clearly state that well-designed places support the creation of sustainable places that generate positive economic, environment and social outcomes. Yet, for decades, the design value of ‘new build’ housing development has remained stubbornly low. Using data from a multiple case study of new housing developments across the UK’s four nations, this paper asks why this persists and explores how it might be overcome. It models nine key stages in the planning, design and development process for new housing illustrating where the ‘critical points of design governance intervention’ lie.

Resident Support for the Federally Mandated Smoke-Free Rule in Public Housing: 2018-2022.

This study examines support for the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) mandatory smoke-free rule up to four years post-rule among smokers and non-smokers. A repeated cross-sectional design was used where District of Columbia public housing residents aged 18+ (n = 529) completed surveys during three time points: July 2018 (pre-rule), November 2018-March 2020 (post-rule), and September 2020-December 2022 (post-rule + COVID-19). Full support for the rule was indicated by agreeing that smoking should not be allowed in all indoor locations and within 25 feet of buildings. Descriptive statistics showed significant differences in support across time for smokers (5.3%, 30.7%, and 22.5%, respectively) and similar support across time for nonsmokers (48.2%, 52.2%, and 40.0%, respectively). In unstratified regression analysis, pre-rule support was lower than when the rule was in effect (aOR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.25, 0.90), and tobacco users were less likely to support the rule (aOR = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.23, 0.50). Stratified logistic regression results showed that pre-rule support was lower among smokers compared to post-rule support (aOR = 0.14, 95% CI = 0.03, 0.59); support among nonsmokers did not vary by time. Findings overall indicate low support for the smoke-free rule up to 4 years post-implementation. Engaging residents with the rule and promoting health and well-being may further enhance policy effectiveness and acceptance.

NIMBYs, YIMBYs, and the Politics of Land Use in American Cities

Debates over the development and density of housing have gained visibility in recent years as housing costs have skyrocketed in many metropolitan areas. With those who seek to limit development (NIMBYs) on one side and those who seek to promote it (YIMBYs) on the other, scholarly attention has turned to understanding preferences and power in the politics of development. This article reviews scholarship relating to the politics of land use. After discussing the history of land use regulation, we describe who the important actors are (and, generally, what they want) in the politics of land use; we explain the distribution of power and inequality in the politics of land use; and we briefly review how land use regulation affects other societal outcomes. We end with a set of unanswered political questions that could push the field forward.

Developing ‘Age-Friendly’ Communities: The Experience of International Retired Migrants

Over the past two decades, the need to create ‘age-friendly cities and communities’ (AFCC) has emerged as a major theme in policies aimed at improving old people’s physical and social environment. The World Health Organization (WHO) has driven this agenda through the launch in 2010 of the Global Network of Age-friendly Cities and Communities. Support for ageing in place has, at the same time, run alongside an increase in international retirement migration, with people choosing not to age in their existing neighbourhood but rather to relocate to another country. The growth of retirement migration has occurred in the context of specialized housing and leisure-orientated developments in cheaper countries targeting retirees from richer countries. This article draws on the narratives of retirees of the UK, Switzerland, France and the USA who have relocated to Spain, Costa Rica and Mexico on a permanent basis. It highlights the reasons migrants put forward to explain the advantages of living in their new home, and what we can learn about the conditions for an age-friendly living environment. This article begins with a review of the development of age-friendly cities and communities, then outlines the concept of ‘elective belonging’ which is used to provide a framework for understanding the growth of retirement migration. Following an overview of current knowledge on retirement migration and a discussion of the methodology of the study, we present the results from interviews with retired migrants about their experiences within their new communities. Finally, we discuss the implications of our study for developing research and policies which acknowledge how age as a social status may be used as a means of fostering the integration of older people within their communities.