Quality Of Residential Environment Research Articles

Program of Improving Quality of Village Residential Environment in Ngabang District

Management of the Environmental Quality Improvement Program for Village Settlements in Ngabang District, Landak Regency. The increase in population in Landak Regency is also accompanied by an increase in the number of poor people, this is an existing reality. Its government, which holds the power, should try to overcome this problem. This program aims to help poor people who live in poor environments. This Rural Settlement Program is carried out in Ngabang District, Landak Regency. This study aimed to find out the implementation of the program to improve the quality of the village residential environment in Ngabang District, and about community initiatives and participation in the program to improve the quality of the village residential environment in Ngabang District, Landak Regency. Research methods and data analysis were done using descriptive qualitative techniques. The results of this research indicate that in order for the program to improve the quality of the village residential environment to achieve its targets, coordination between the agencies involved is needed. Before it is implemented, the government needs to socialize the program with the community. Transparency is needed in the program to avoid intervention by groups who do not understand and require participation from the community, so that the implementation gets the expected results.
 Keywords: culture, progress, regional strategy, Border Dayak Community

Weight Loss Maintainers Sustain High Diet Quality in Diverse Residential Retail Food Environments

BackgroundThe relationship between the retail food environment and diet quality has received minimal investigation among weight loss maintainers. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the association between the residential retail food environment and diet quality in weight loss maintainers from WeightWatchers in the United States. DesignCross-sectional data were collected between January 2018 and February 2020. The Retail Food Environment Index (RFEI), based on geocoded home addresses, classified the environment as follows: RFEI <1.6 = healthiest; RFEI 1.6 to <2.5 = moderately healthy; RFEI 2.5 to <4.0 = moderately unhealthy; RFEI ≥4.0 = least healthy. Dietary data were obtained using a food frequency questionnaire. Participants/SettingAdult participants (n = 1,159) who had lost weight using WeightWatchers and maintained ≥9.1-kg weight loss for ≥1 year (mean 24.7-kg loss for 3.4 years). Main Outcome MeasuresHealthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015) component and total scores (0-100; higher scores indicate better alignment with the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans). Statistical Analyses PerformedRegression models included RFEI category, the independent variable, and HEI-2015 and component scores (outcomes) controlling for age, sex, race and ethnicity, educational attainment, and household income. ResultsCompared with individuals living in the healthiest food environments (mean HEI-2015 score = 71.5) those in the unhealthiest environments had a mean HEI-2015 score of 70.1 (95% CI 68.8 to 71.3), those in moderately unhealthy environments had a score of 71.3 (95% CI 70.3 to 73.1) and those in moderately healthy environments had a score of 70.3 (95% CI 68.9 to 71.2), indicating a nonlinear relationship. Compared with those in the healthiest environments, those in the least healthy environments had an approximately 0.47 lower added sugar HEI-2015 component score (95% CI –0.86 to –0.08), indicating approximately 5% higher added sugar intake. ConclusionsWeight loss maintainers maintained high diet quality in diverse retail food environments. Compared with those in the healthiest food environments, those in the least healthy had a higher consumption of added sugars.

Neighbourhood structure and environmental quality: A fine-grained analysis of spatial inequalities in urban Germany

Urban environments are characterised by sparsity of space, elevated levels of air pollution and limited exposure to natural environments. Yet, residential environmental quality varies substantially both between and within cities. This study combines information on the socio-economic and demographic composition of 243,607 urban neighbourhoods with administrative and remote sensing data on the spatial distribution of industrial plants and urban green space to investigate patterns of environmental inequality in urban Germany at unprecedented levels of spatial granularity. It disentangles neighbourhood disadvantages experienced by foreign minorities (non-nationals) from those experienced by low-income households in order to assess the plausibility of economic explanations of residential sorting. The high level of spatial granularity makes it possible to examine patterns of environmental inequality not only between the relatively large areas that have been used as units of analysis in previous work but also within them, while reducing the threat of ecological bias. Results indicate that non-nationals are more likely to be exposed to industrial air pollution and less likely to live close to green spaces. This association holds even after adjusting for neighbourhood income composition and in fixed-effects specifications that restrict the analysis to within-city variation. I find no evidence for environmental inequality by socio-economic status. Exploratory sub-sample analyses show that neighbourhood disadvantages for non-nationals are higher in cities characterised by high levels of anti-foreigner sentiment, pointing towards housing market discrimination as a potentially important driver of foreign residents’ neighbourhood disadvantage.

Evaluation of Perceived Environmental Risks of Residents' Life under the Perspective of Environmental Public Opinion

Population health, social development and the environment are important elements of sustainable development. This article uses the China People's Daily message board to collect environmental public opinion data, visualizes the public opinion hotspots of environmental based on word frequency statistics, and applies the Latent Dirichlet Allocations (LDA) topic model to analyze the spatial distribution of environmental risk perception dimensions. The conclusions are as follows: (1) in terms of the hotspots of environmental public opinion, the most frequent occurrences are the living environment, interest demands and noise pollution. (2) There is heterogeneity in the topic of environmental risk perception. The perception of pollution source types has the highest weight in environmental risk perception in the eastern, central, and western regions. Specifically, the types of pollution sources in the eastern that receive the most attention are garbage and noise pollution. In addition to paying attention to noise pollution, the central and western also have a higher perceived weight on the polluters. Residents in northeast are most concerned about changes in residents' health and living environment quality. (3) From the perspective of environmental risk perception, health perception has the highest proportion in northeast, followed by the eastern, and finally the central and western. Proportion of perception of interest demands is highest in the central region, perception of residential environment quality is highest in the northeast region, perception of pollution source types is highest in the eastern, central, and western regions, and lowest in the northeast region. Finally, some practical and feasible policy recommendations were proposed for different regions.

Sistem Pertahanan pada Kawasan Desa Bali Aga di Kabupaten Karangasem

Defense System in the Bali Aga Village Area in Karangasem Regency. The defense system is one of the important things in settlements. Oscar Newman has developed the concept of defensible space, which is a defense concept to improve the quality of residential environments. The Bali Aga people still carry out their traditions, both in terms of customs and in living. Many of the characteristics of the Bali Aga settlements are still clearly visible, because the traditional concepts are still adhered to by most of the people. Aspects of the concept of defense in Bali Aga settlements have not been disclosed much. The disclosure of the concept of defense in the Bali Aga settlement is expected to add references to improve the quality of settlements. This research was conducted in three Bali Aga settlements, namely Timbrah Village, Asak Village, and Bungaya Village, in Karangasem Regency. This village was chosen because it has a location that is close together and has many similarities, in terms of customs and geographical conditions. This research uses a qualitative approach. Data collection was carried out by means of literature studies, observations, and in-depth interviews. Descriptive data were analyzed by content analysis. The results of the study show that the concept related to the defense system in living is seen in spatial organizations that emphasize the occurrence of natural surveillance. The concept of defense is also in the form of establishing boundaries in the yard of the house, and limiting access. Communal space is the center of the area, emphasizing the concept of openness to facilitate control over the behavior of the community and outsiders.

A Wireless Sensor Network for Residential Building Energy and Indoor Environmental Quality Monitoring: Design, Instrumentation, Data Analysis and Feedback

This article outlines the implementation and use of a large wireless instrumentation solution to collect data over a long time period of a few years for three collective residential buildings. The sensor network consists of a variety of 179 sensors deployed in building common areas and in apartments to monitor energy consumption, indoor environmental quality, and local meteorological conditions. The collected data are used and analyzed to assess the building performance in terms of energy consumption and indoor environmental quality following major renovation operations on the buildings. Observations from the collected data show energy consumption of the renovated buildings in agreement with expected energy savings calculated by an engineering office, many different occupancy patterns mainly related to the professional situation of the households, and seasonal variation in window opening rates. The monitoring was also able to detect some deficiencies in the energy management. Indeed, the data reveal the absence of time-of-day-dependent heating load control and higher than expected indoor temperatures because of a lack of occupant awareness on energy savings, thermal comfort, and the new technologies installed during the renovation such as thermostatic valves on the heaters. Lastly, we also provide feedback on the performed sensor network from the experiment design and choice of measured quantities to data communication, through the sensors’ technological choices, implementation, calibration, and maintenance.

Perception of the Residential Environmental Quality of Yenagoa Metropolis, Nigeria

Residential environmental quality (REQ) affects human health and quality of life (QoL). Therefore, this study as sessed residents’ perception of the REQ of the Yenagoa metropolis. Data for the study were sourced from the 400 administered questionnaires, which required respondents to rate their REQ based on seven selected indicators (air quality, drinking water quality, housing location, sanitation, waste management, housing accessibility and noise pollution). The respondents were sampled using the multistage sampling technique. The data were analyzed using frequency, percent age, t-test, ANOVA and REQ model. The findings show that the overall calculated REQ of Yenagoa was classified as “good quality". The best-rated indicator was drinking water quality, while the least-rated was noise pollution. Ratings based on respondents' sex, income and educational status recorded similar results. Also, the respondents' perception of the REQ across the four zones was similar as the calculated ratings of all the zones fell under the "good quality" classification. Furthermore, the hypotheses tested revealed that there were no significant differences in the perception of the REQ by sex and income status, while significant variation exists by education status. Despite the general "good quality" rating, there is still room for improvement, especially in the areas of noise pollution, sanitation and housing location, which received relatively low ratings.

A diagnostic study of the perception of the residential environmental quality of the residents of the neighborhood Vale do Sol in the city of Parnamirim/RN, Brazil

The perception of environmental quality in urban space correlates with the concept of urban quality of life, which encompasses daily practices and forms of interaction of the population with the environment and access to basic services and housing conditions. The objective of this research was to analyze the residential environmental quality from the point of view of residents of the Vale do Sol neighborhood in the city of Parnamirim in Rio Grande do Norte state, Brazil, based on environmental, economic, and social indicators. This study is justified by its important contribution to a more comprehensive understanding of the environmental problems experienced by the interviewed population at the household level. To this end, the research is configured as a case study, with a quantitative approach, with on-site visits, through which questionnaires were applied, in addition to theoretical support, in order to obtain knowledge related to the theme addressed. The results obtained indicated that the environmental perception of the residents of the Vale do Sol neighborhood was satisfactory for the indicators of solid waste collection and water supply system, as for the drainage system and health services suggest improvements.

The relationship between four types of premature ejaculation patients and the quality of residential environment

BackgroundWe investigated the association between premature ejaculation (PE) and the quality of residential environment from a new perspective to explore the influencing factors of PE, especially in four PE subtypes. We selected 499 adult males to participate in this study from September 2021 to September 2022. The satisfaction of residential environment was assessed by the Perceived Residential Environment Quality Indicators (PREQIs) scale, the control ability over ejaculation was assessed using the premature ejaculation diagnostic tool (PEDT), and their depression was assessed using the self-rating depression scale (SDS).ResultsThe Architectural and Town-planning Spaces (ATS), Green Spaces (GS), and Commercial Services (CS) of PE patients (N = 346) were compared with those of control group (N = 153), showed a significant difference (p < .05), for PE patients, the score of ATS was 44.30 ± 12.38, the score of GS was 18.60 ± 6.24, and the score of CS was 20.82 ± 8.20; for control group, which were 40.46 ± 16.21, 20.69 ± 5.71 and 22.90 ± 7.03 respectively. After age was taken into account, ATS had a positive correlation with PEDT score (r = 0.76), whereas GS and CS had a negative correlation (r = -0.87, -0.90); ATS had a positive correlation with SDS (r = 0.96), whereas GS and CS had a negative correlation (r = -0.74, -0.81).ConclusionsWe discovered that PE patients more likely resided in high-density areas with little green space and subpar commercial services, which might have an adverse effect on their mental health. This study offered a new viewpoint about the influence of residential environment on PE.

Investigating the Relationship between Landscape Design Types and Human Thermal Comfort: Case Study of Beijing Olympic Forest Park

Urban green space can improve the local thermal environment and thus the quality of the urban residential environment. Taking the green space of Beijing Olympic Forest Park (BOFP) as an example, this study analysed sample points representing different plant community structures, plant community types, and landscape environments based on 15 years of continuous dynamic measurement and selected typical annual data (from 2020). The study analysed and explained the spatial differentiation characteristics of human thermal comfort (HTC) in green space areas of BOFP using the predicted mean vote (PMV)–predicted percentage dissatisfied (PPD) physical comfort index model, which comprehensively considers both the objective environment and people’s subjective feelings and psychological states. The results showed that the level of HTC in the park’s green space, across community types and across typical landscape environments, differed between areas with different community structures. PMV–PPD mathematical model fitting further verified the above results.

An actual-performance-oriented study on the relationship between environmental efficiency and passive design factors for multi-family dwellings in cold areas

Performance during operation reflects the actual energy efficiency of the building. Therefore, when analyzing the relationship between passive design factors and building performance, using performance data in operation also makes the conclusion more in line with reality. In this study, winter and summer air temperature measurements were conducted in several multi-family dwellings in four cities in cold areas, and data on heating and cooling energy consumption of the dwellings were gathered as well. An environmental efficiency assessment method was devised to comprehensively describe residential energy consumption and environmental quality. The ratio of energy consumption to indoor-outdoor temperature difference (EDR) has been proposed as a new metric to measure the environmental efficiency of dwelling units. Through sensitivity analysis, the impacts of passive design factors on environmental efficiency were quantified and ranked. The two passive design factors that have the greatest impact on environmental efficiency in winter are northern window-to-wall ratio and surface area-to-volume ratio, while the floor number affects the environmental efficiency most significantly in summer. According to comprehensive analyses of winter and summer, the most important factors impacting environmental efficiency in a year are northern window-to-wall ratio and surface area-to-volume ratio. The study's findings can help architects filter design elements for focused design during the passive design process, increasing design effectiveness.

Associations between residential environmental health and sleep quality: Potential mechanisms

BackgroundSleep quality is an important dimension of sleep health. There are few studies on the relationship between residential environment and sleep quality in China. We validated the connection between them and explored the moderating role of spatial-geographic characteristics and the role of emotional stress and somatic function as mediators. MethodsUsing survey data collected by the Chinese General Social Survey in 2021, 2717 respondents were included in the analysis. First, OLS regression was used for baseline analysis. Second, a generalized ordered logit model was used to analyze the more precise correlations between residential environmental health and sleep quality. Finally, the mediating role of emotional stress and somatic function was explored using the KHB method. ResultsIn the baseline analysis, both the positive correlations of residential natural environmental health and residential health resources on people's sleep quality were tested. Further analysis revealed that the correlation of natural environmental health was more about protecting people from poor sleep quality (having “good” and “very good” sleep quality). The residential health resources correlated with whether people reported very good sleep quality. Regional development disparities played a negative moderating role in the relationship between residential health resources and sleep quality. Also, the mediating role of emotional stress and somatic function were supported, and the mediating role of somatic function was higher in proportion. ConclusionSleep quality was positively correlated with residential environmental health; the economic development gap between regions played a moderating role; and the correlation was generated by people's emotional stress and somatic function. In the development of public health policy, it is necessary to actively address various environmental issues, provide convenient health facilities in living spaces, and bolster the policy inclinations of less developed areas.

Residential green space and waist circumference affect telomere shortening in childhood: the longitudinal ChiBS study

BackgroundTelomere shortening, recognised as one of the most well known biomarkers of biological ageing, is susceptible to various environmental and lifestyle factors, encompassed in the exposome. Research shows that telomere length is substantially determined early in life and that exposures in childhood can have important consequences in setting telomere length later in life and thus the lifespan of an individual. We explored the associations between 17 exposures and longitudinal telomere change in a child population. MethodsChildren up to the age of 9 years, from Aalter, Belgium, were enrolled in 2008 and 2010 and followed-up for 5 or 7 years (up to 2015). Relative telomere length was measured at baseline (2008 or 2010) and at follow-up, in 2015, through quantitative real-time PCR. Exposures and lifestyle factors comprised: body-mass index, waist circumference, dietary habits (ie, sugar-rich and fat-rich food intake and vegetables and fruit intake), psychosocial stress (ie, negative events, emotions, and behaviour), sleep duration, physical activity, and residential environmental quality (long-term black carbon and particulate matter exposure and residential green space). Green space was estimated from high-resolution land cover data within several buffers (50–3000 m) around the child's residence. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses were done by means of linear regression models, adjusting for length of follow-up, age, sex, and socioeconomic status. Effect size was expressed as β, the standardised regression coefficient of the linear regression, and was calculated by multiplying the unstandardised regression coefficient by the standard deviation of the predictor variable and dividing by the standard deviation of the outcome variable. Written informed consent was obtained from all parents. Children aged 12 years and older also provided written informed consent. Children younger than 12 years gave verbal consent. Findings150 children (77 [51%] boys and 73 [49%] girls) aged 2·8–10·3 years (median 5·9 years [IQR 4·9–7·1]) at baseline were included in the longitudinal analysis, which showed that higher residential green space at baseline was associated with inferior telomere shortening (β=0·261; p=0·0018), whereas a higher baseline waist circumference was associated with more telomere attrition (β=–0·287; p=0·0015). These predictors were confirmed via lasso variable selection and correction for multiple testing. In addition, children with more unhealthy exposures had significantly more telomere shortening over the follow-up period than did children with less unhealthy baseline exposures (β=–0·200; p=0·017). InterpretationResidential green space and waist circumference were identified as predictors of telomere shortening in childhood. These results further showcase the benefits of a healthy lifestyle from an early age and the importance of a green environment in promoting molecular longevity from childhood onwards. FundingResearch Foundation Flanders (Brussels, Belgium; project number G073315N).

Predictors of perceived neighbourhood comfort in urban and suburban areas in Finland

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The quality of residential environment, or, neighbourhood, is one determinant of overall quality of life. International studies have observed that neighbourhood perceptions are associated with socio-demographic and dwelling-related factors, and subjective and objective neighbourhood qualities such as safety or low noise levels. However, only a few studies have examined all these attributes at once and assessed the role of inclusion in neighbourhood decision-making processes; these were the aims of this study. METHODS: A survey was conducted among adults (aged 18-97) in urban centres and suburbs in five Finnish cities (n=2057; response rate 34%) in 2021. Ordinal mixed regression models (using the latent probit link function) were specified to assess the importance of socio-demographic, dwelling, and neighbourhood attributes for perceived neighbourhood comfort. RESULTS: Almost 80% of the respondents perceived their neighbourhood as comfortable or very comfortable. Apart from age and relationship status, socio-demographic factors were not associated with perceived neighbourhood comfort. Concerning dwelling, neighbourhood comfort was related to being satisfied with the dwelling (vs unsatisfied/neither: b=.77), having a green view and looking at it often (vs seldom/no green view: b=.48) or sometimes (b=.16), and living in a detached house (vs a flat: b=.27). Of subjective neighbourhood attributes, the strongest predictors of neighbourhood comfort were being satisfied (vs unsatisfied/neither) with neighbourhood safety (b=.66), green areas (b=.40), blue areas (b=.32) and maintenance of traffic routes (b=.31); and good/very good (vs poor/very poor) possibilities to influence the decisions regarding the neighbourhood (b=.42). CONCLUSIONS: Supporting previous studies, perceived neighbourhood comfort was most strongly explained by satisfaction with dwelling and neighbourhood qualities -especially safety and natural environments- and, as a novel result, being able to influence neighbourhood decisions. In upcoming analyses, we will add objective neighbourhood attributes and examine whether selected factors moderate these relationships. KEYWORDS: neighbourhood satisfaction, suburbs, green space, residential satisfaction

Validation of the abbreviated indicators of perceived residential environment quality and neighborhood attachment in China.

The purpose of this research is to utilize factor analyses to evaluate the reliability and factorial structure of an abbreviated version of the instrument that includes indicators of perceived residential environment quality (PREQ) and neighborhood attachment (NA) in Chinese urban environments. The instrument has 11 scales that measure PREQ and 1 scale measuring neighborhood attachment (NA). Architectural and urban planning aspects (three scales: Architectural and Town-planning Space, Organization of Accessibility and Roads, Green Areas), socio-relational aspects (one scale: People and Social Relations), functional aspects (four scales: Welfare Services, Recreational Services, Commercial Services, and Transport Services), and contextual aspects (three scales: Pace of Life, Environmental Health, and Upkeep and Care) are all covered by the 11 PREQ scales. A total of 1,332 people living in Chinese urban cities completed a self-report questionnaire that included these 12 scales. A calibration sample and a validation sample that were randomly split from the total sample verified the factorial structures of this instrument, and the abbreviated instrument had acceptable reliability and validity. The validated abbreviated version of the PREQ and NA instruments allowed for a more reliable and manageable tool that might lessen respondents' exhaustion of a large number of items, this also contributed to the policy-making for urban planning and practical architectural design.

A multi-exposure approach to study telomere dynamics in childhood: A role for residential green space and waist circumference.

BackgroundTelomeres are vulnerable to various environmental exposures and lifestyle factors, encompassed in the exposome. Recent research shows that telomere length is substantially determined early in life and that exposures in childhood may have important consequences in setting later life telomere length. ObjectivesWe explore in a child population the associations of 17 exposures with telomere length and longitudinal telomere change. MethodsChildren (2.8–10.3y at baseline, 51.3% boys) were followed-up for five to seven years. Relative telomere length was measured at baseline and follow-up using quantitative real-time PCR. Exposures and lifestyle factors included: body composition (body mass index and waist circumference), dietary habits (sugar- and fat-rich food intake, vegetables and fruit intake), psychosocial stress (events, emotions, behaviour), sleep duration, physical activity, and residential environmental quality (longterm black carbon, particulate matter exposure, and residential green space). Cross-sectional (n=182) and longitudinal (n=150) analyses were assessed using linear regression models, adjusting for age, sex, socioeconomic status and multiple testing. ResultsOur longitudinal analyses showed that higher residential green space at baseline was associated with (β=0.261, p=0.002) lower telomere attrition and that children with a higher waist circumference at baseline showed a higher telomere attrition (β=−0.287, p=0.001). These two predictors were confirmed via LASSO variable selection and correction for multiple testing. In addition, children with more unhealthy exposures at baseline had a significantly higher telomere attrition over the follow-up period compared to children with more healthy exposures (β=−0.200, p=0.017). DiscussionWaist circumference and residential green space were identified as predictors associated with telomere attrition in childhood. These results further support the advantages of a healthy lifestyle from early age onwards and the importance of a green environment to promote molecular longevity from childhood onwards.

Sociable Space and Social Policies in Iranian Urban Local Communities

Changes in the spatial arrangement and dominant social processes of urbanization over the past few decades in Iran have failed to allow communities to shape their social interactions. This paper is a synthesis of a quantitative and qualitative study of community responses aimed at creating good social spaces within local communities in Tehran. First, we identified Perceived Residential Environment Quality indicators (PREQ) as tools for determining the effects of environmental quality (EQ) of sociable spaces. Then key social governance-­related concerns were studied on the basis of five questions including: Are the decision-­making and regulatory processes open, rigorous and accountable? Is the environmental quality assessment process adequate? Does the government have the intention and capacity to monitor and enforce regulations? Has the interaction of community members in decisions been timely and have local actors been significantly involved? Have local governments been included in decision making? It is observed that community residents identified systematic gaps and problems in decision-­making processes and sometimes even used them to advance individual interests, because they do not feel that they are dealt with justice and see the current laws as depriving them of access to more resources. In many cases, regulatory protections and assessments of social and environmental values lagged behind the physical construction. Administrative bureaucracies without creating a real participation have been increased. Overall, we argue that as a common ground, environmental activities can bring together people in the local community but when such functioning systems are put in place to ensure community engagement. So, despite extensive formal endorsement, they should provide for an effective as opposed to a symbolic involvement of stakeholders other than governmental authorities.

The Relationship Between Perceived Residential Environment Quality (PREQ) and Community Identity: Flow and Social Capital as Mediators.

The wide-spread novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has posed severe challenges to people’s life especially their life style. Due to the residential confinement contingency, people were restricted in their study, work and leisure within constrained residential community. The physical environment of residential community therefore became the main activity place and it thus played a significant role for facilitating inhabitants’ daily activities and influencing community identity. Based on the eudaimonic identity theory, this study explored how the spatial dimensions of perceived residential environment quality (PREQ), activity experience (i.e., flow) and social capital, would impact on urbanities’ residential community identity during Covid-19. Results from 508 Chinese residential inhabitants analyzed via structural equation modeling suggested that: a better degree in the spatial dimensions of PREQ would predict a stronger community identity; flow and social capital mediated the relationship between the spatial dimensions of PREQ and the inhabitants’ community identity. The implications of such accounts for our understanding of community identity are then discussed, considering the important meaning of the relationships between people and the perceived physical properties of their residential place.

Assessment of Residential Environment Quality of Single-Person Households by Age Groups in Urban China

This research is to explore the residential environment quality of single-person households in urban China, to identify their distinctions by five age groups and to determine factors affecting their satisfactions with housing and residential environment. Using a questionnaire survey, this cross-sectional study utilized 501 responses for statistical analysis. The results showed that most respondents were salaried workers aged 40s with a college degree, and homeowners living in old apartments with 2 to 3 bedrooms. The participants with lower income spent more housing expenses which decreased their housing satisfaction. Also, it’s found that the age groups of 30s and over 60s had higher housing satisfaction than other groups while the age range of 20s had lower satisfaction. The group aged over 60s had higher satisfaction with residential environment and 50s was dissatisfied with it. The regression analysis indicated that the assessment of residential environment was largely affected by housing satisfaction. Besides, educational attainment, employment status and position, and income of the households were interrelated and had positive impacts on living conditions which in turn influenced satisfactions with both housing quality and residential environment. Thus, the findings imply that it’s significant to develop housing programs that socially and economically support solo households.

MERDEKA BELAJAR-KAMPUS MERDEKA IN DEVELOPING BUSINESS THE ANALYSIS OF A POLICY IMPLEMENTATION: SLUM FREE URBAN PROGRAM (KOTAKU) IN BINJAI CITY

Slum-free Urban Program (KOTAKU) is arranged by the Directorate General of Human Settlements, Presidential Regulation Number 2 of 2015, which instructs the development and expansion of urban regions by handling the residential environment's quality. The research shows that Binjai City has 21 Urban Villages included in the slums residential area. They are Tanah Merah, Bhakti Karya, Tanah Seribu, Puji Dadi, Binjai Estate, Rambung Barat, Rambung Timur, Timbang Langkat, Sumber Mulyorejo, Sumber Karya, Bandar Sinembah, Limau Mungkur, Paya Roba, Suka Maju, Suka Ramai, Tangsi, Satria, Berngam, Pekan Binjai, Damai, and Cengkeh Turi. The KOTAKU program gets its fund from the Kotaku program, Regional Budget (APBD), and communities' funds to manage the program. In this research, the methodology used was the descriptive method using a qualitative approach to focus on the current issues or phenomena during the research. The research shows the decrease of slums residential area from 315.6 Ha to 224.57 Ha. The implementation of the KOTAKU program has a resistor factor: the lack of socialization from the government regarding the program and the lack of community participation in the development process. This research concludes that the implementation of the KOTAKU program in Binjai City has corresponded to the local people requirements, and it creates a decrease of residential slums area to 30%. This research provides a recommendation: the government needs to make more socialization regarding the program and conduct direct coordination to the community to increase people's participation to run the KOTAKU program. The suggestion for future research is to conduct a bottom-up strategy so that many people are actively involved in the program