Urban Housing Research Articles

Urbanization, Legacies of Elite Capture, and Multi-Dimensional Exclusions in Ghana: Towards Just Housing and Neighborhood Policies in African Cities

Persisting housing challenges in Africa’s cities are often theorized as driven by rapid demographic expansion outstripping housing supply or by the urbanization of poverty which puts the cost of adequate and serviced housing beyond the reach of many urban dwellers. This theorization links the problem of inadequate supply and low quality of housing to ahistorical, apolitical factors such as the size and income/poverty characteristics of Africa’s urban population and ignores legacies of elite capture and multi-dimensional exclusions reflected in policies and practices. Yet these policies and practices shape urban governance and who gains access to land, housing finance and ultimately serviced housing and neighborhoods. Drawing on a review of policies, media sources and literature on housing in Ghana and taking a critical postcolonial institutional theoretic approach, we argue that a more complete conceptualization of Africa’s urban housing crises should involve a close look at the regressive historical patterns of urban investments and persisting elite biases in institutions managing land, finance and housing. This re-framing of housing problems creates a more holistic framework and better articulates the unjust foundations of regressive and exclusionary policies and practices. Further, it highlights elite capture and multi-dimensional exclusions that perpetuate current housing and service failure in African cities. An explicit focus on power, exclusion and injustice is necessary to formulate and advocate alternative policies that are more likely to produce inclusive livable housing and neighborhoods. These include moratoriums on evictions, expanded slum upgrading, progressive property and land taxation, more inclusive planning systems, better regulation of rental housing and improved delivery of land and finance for transit oriented affordable public and rental housing.

Architecture, Planning, and Policy Around Two Spanish Trips to the Soviet Union: I Réunions Internationales des Architectes (1932) and V International Union of Architects Congress (1958)

The aim of this article is to explore the diffusion of the USSR housing, planning, and architecture related to Spain in the transnational networks through the development of two international congress. The French magazine L’Architecture d’Aujourd’hui organized a trip to the Stalinist Soviet Union in 1932. The aims were to stage the I Réunions Internationales d’Architectes (RIA) and to discover the progress of Soviet urban planning and housing after the First Five-Year Plan. At the time, Spain was a newly declared republic that was eyeing the situation in the international context as a reference for development. In 1948, the RIA was transformed into the International Union of Architects (IUA) and organized the second meeting in Moscow, the V IUA Congress, under the support of the Khrushchev regime in 1958. Spain was then a dictatorship attempting to overcome the international isolation of the Franco regime. The chronicles of these meetings show the contradictions and similarities of ideas at two very different points in time for both countries.

THE IMPACT OF THE DIGITAL ECONOMY ON URBAN HOUSE PRICES: COMPREHENSIVE EXPLORATIONS

Internet technology and data-driven innovations are changing the way people live and work, which could have an impact on real estate supply and demand. Therefore, this study focuses on the relationship between urban digital economy growth and urban house prices. First, the empirical model shows that the digital economy has an inverted U-shaped impact on urban housing prices. The mechanisms underlying this relationship were then examined. The results indicated that fixed asset investment, government expenditure, and the urban environment influence the relationship between digital economy growth and urban house prices. Finally, a heterogeneity analysis revealed that the digital economy does not affect house prices in Tier 1, New Tier 1, and Tier 2 Chinese cities, but increases house prices in Tier 3 cities. In Tier 4 and Tier 5 cities, this relationship was found to be inverted U-shaped. These findings offer valuable insights to policymakers in China in balancing the growth of the digital economy and the stability of house prices.

A modified spatial house price to income ratio and housing affordability drivers study: using the post-LASSO approach

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop an index for measuring urban house price affordability that integrates spatial considerations and to explore the drivers of housing affordability using the post-least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) approach and the ordinary least squares method of regression analysis. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on time-series data collected from 2005 to 2021 for 256 prefectural-level city districts in China. The new urban spatial house-to-price ratio introduced in this study adds the consideration of commuting costs due to spatial endowment compared to the traditional house-to-price ratio. And compared with the use of ordinary economic modelling methods, this study adopts the post-LASSO variable selection approach combined with the k-fold cross-test model to identify the most important drivers of housing affordability, thus better solving the problems of multicollinearity and overfitting. Findings Urban macroeconomics environment and government regulations have varying degrees of influence on housing affordability in cities. Among them, gross domestic product is the most important influence. Research limitations/implications The paper provides important implications for policymakers, real estate professionals and researchers. For example, policymakers will be able to design policies that target the most influential factors of housing affordability in their region. Originality/value This study introduces a new urban spatial house price-to-income ratio, and it examines how macroeconomic indicators, government regulation, real estate market supply and urban infrastructure level have a significant impact on housing affordability. The problem of having too many variables in the decision-making process is minimized through the post-LASSO methodology, which varies the parameters of the model to allow for the ranking of the importance of the variables. As a result, this approach allows policymakers and stakeholders in the real estate market more flexibility in determining policy interventions. In addition, through the k-fold cross-validation methodology, the study ensures a high degree of accuracy and credibility when using drivers to predict housing affordability.

Carcinogenic metal(loid)s in house dust compared to soil: Concentrations and gastric bioaccessibility

As a sink and a source of chemicals, house dust represents a relevant medium to assess indoor exposure to metal(loid)s via incidental ingestion or inhalation. However, nationally representative indoor data are scarce. Results from the Canadian House Dust Study (CHDS, 2007–2010; n = 1025) provide nationally representative mean, median and 95th percentile concentrations for 38 elements in typical urban house dust, along with their gastric bioaccessibility. Total concentrations (median/95th percentile) of carcinogenic metal(loid)s in Canadian house dust (μg g−1) are as follows: As (9.0/40), Be (0.4/0.9), Cd (3.5/17), Co (5.6/19), Cr (99/214), Ni (62/322) and Pb (100/760). Total As and Pb concentrations in house dust exceed residential soil guidelines for the protection of human health in about one-third of Canadian homes. Percent bioaccessibilities (median) are: Cd (65%) > Pb (63%) > Be ∼ Ni (36%) > Co (35%) > As (20%) > Cr (15%). Lead, Cd and Co concentrations are significantly greater in older houses (< 1976). Data from two pilot studies (n = 66 + 51) further demonstrate the distinct geochemistry of house dust compared to soils, notably enrichment of carcinogenic metal(loid)s and their increased bioaccessibility. These results provide essential baseline values to refine risk assessment and inform on health risk at contaminated sites.

Moving from “superstar” cities to “ordinary” cities to reclaim middle-class status: gentrification-induced inter-metropolitan migration

ABSTRACT A national reshuffling of the United States population is in progress, as ever more people adjust to the reality of excessively expensive urban housing markets. We unpack the out-migration of middle-class people from large, high-growth cities propelled by gentrification pressures, into one lower-cost metropolitan area in North Carolina: Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill (“the Triangle”), considering the multiple impacts of migrants on the region. We refine concepts that are central to the gentrification scholarship, namely who is displaced and the geographic range of displacement. We find that migrants experience many benefits in their new location but have fears about the future of their new city. As the Triangle is growing, it is reproducing the high prices, environmental harm, and loss of a sense of place migrants experienced in their city of origin. This suggests that newly growing cities such as the Triangle are at risk of replicating the inequalities that plague superstar cities. Theoretically, we reflect on how a case study of an “ordinary” city (Robinson [2002]. Global and world cities: A view from off the map. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 26(3), 531–554.; Robinson [2006]. Ordinary Cities: Between Modernity and development. Psychology Press.) in the United States South, an underrepresented region in urban studies, can shed new light on urbanization in the United States.

Designing for Modern Living

This study delves into the evolving landscape of modern living in South Korea, which has the widespread apartment complexes that have emerged from the efficiency centric approaches of industrial capitalism. It explores the paradigm shift in the 21st-century capitalist society, which now values creativity and individual expression over functionality and uniformity. This shift has led to a noticeable disparity between the monotonous spatial composition of mass-produced housing and the dynamic, creative lifestyles of contemporary residents. The research method involves a comprehensive analysis of both lifestyle and architectural magazines, providing insights into the changing preferences and lifestyles of residents, as well as the perspectives of professionals. The study aimed to highlight the changing nature of residential spaces and the design strategies, moving away from the conventional utility-focused designs, towards environments that foster creativity and reflect the individuality of inhabitants. Key findings indicate a growing public preference for residential spaces that are versatile, creatively stimulating, and aligned with the multifaceted nature of modern lifestyles. Contrasting these views, architectural experts emphasize the fundamental values of living, advocating for spaces that connect residents with nature and enrich everyday experiences through sensory engagement. The study concludes that while there is a divergence in perspectives between the general public and architectural specialists, both recognize the necessity for sustainable housing solutions. These solutions should cater to contemporary societal changes while preserving essential life values, thereby overcoming the limitations of the prevalent apartment centric urban housing model in South Korea.

EquiCity game: a mathematical serious game for participatory design of spatial configurations

We propose a mathematical framework for developing social-choice games that are designed to mediate decision-making processes for city planning, urban area redevelopment, and architectural configuration of urban housing complexes. The proposed framework features a digital serious gaming approach for participatory design to support transparency and inclusion in the process of decision-making and ensure an equitable balance of sustainable development goals in spatial design outcomes. The mathematical process consists of a Markovian design machine for balancing the design decisions of actors, a massing configurator equipped with fuzzy logic and multi-criteria decision analysis, algebraic graph-theoretical accessibility evaluators, and automated solar-climatic evaluators using geospatial computational geometry. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the framework by implementing a multi-player online game that facilitates a participatory decision-making workshop for forming multi-functional building complexes by providing a generative configurator equipped with automated appraisal/scoring mechanisms for revealing the aggregate impact of alternatives. The EquiCity game empowers a group of decision-makers to reach a fair consensual spatial design by mathematically simulating many rounds of reasonable trade-offs between their decisions, with different levels of interest or control over various types of investments. The novelty of the framework is in its capability to encompass decision-making about the most idiosyncratic aspects of a site related to its heritage status and cultural significance to the most generic aspects such as balancing access to sunlight for the site while respecting ‘the right to sunlight’ of the neighbours of the site, ensuring coherence of the entire configuration with regards to a network of desired closeness ratings, the satisfaction of a programme of requirements, and intricately balancing individual development goals in conjunction with communal goals and environmental design codes.

Homes in flux: Evaluating personal and social dynamics amid urban variability and mass-produced prototype housing

Amidst the ever-evolving landscape of global urbanization, this research delves into the profound repercussions of dynamic shifts in residential settings on both personal and social interconnectedness. Focusing on the evolution into novel urban constructs and gated enclaves—underscored by the influx of mass-produced prototype houses, with Egypt serving as our representative context of a global phenomenon—we offer a nuanced examination of how these transitions mold individuals' perceptions of personal and social connectedness. Employing a survey instrument administered to a sample of 298 respondents, encompassing retrospectives on childhood homes alongside present-day residences, our inquiry unveils a multifaceted narrative that enriches the tapestry of environmental psychology scholarship. Contrary to expectations, the advent of new cities appears to wield no significance over personal or social bonds, while gated communities surprisingly exhibit a notable positive significance solely with personal connectedness, with no significant relationship observed for social connectedness expected from the label of community. Furthermore, apartments and standalone villas prototype typologies manifest divergent impacts on connectedness, defying conventional assumptions. Gender emerges as a pertinent covariate, intricately intertwined with the present-day sense of personal connectedness. These revelations underscore the intricate nexus of factors dictating residential connectedness, advocating for a holistic integration of tangled personal, social, and physical attributes in residential urban planning and housing architecture. Our study advocates for sustained exploration into the intricate mechanisms underpinning the nexus between residential milieus and interpersonal bonds, urging a nuanced understanding of cultural, geographical, and individual nuances to inform interpersonal sustainable paradigm that promotes social interaction and personal well-being.

Community Participation in Urban Land and Housing Delivery: Evidence from Kerala (India) and Dar es Salaam (Tanzania)

Current approaches to the provision of shelter, largely driven by national governments and/or the commercial private sector, continue to fall short of what is needed to reduce housing deficits. The number of people without access to adequate housing continues to grow, especially in cities of the Global South. Increasing attention is being paid to alternative models for organizing land and housing delivery, such as those led by, or at least including, civil society. In this paper, we consider two national land and housing programs—the 20,000 Plots Project in Tanzania, and Basic Services for the Urban Poor (BSUP) in India—alongside community-led housing initiatives from each country. We explore the extent to which community participation in housing delivery can have social and environmental advantages when compared to ‘business as usual’ methods and find that, given appropriate state support, community-based, and civil society actors (including organizations of the urban poor) have significant potential to contribute to acquiring land, building homes and improving the quality of life of vulnerable segments of the population. This paper echoes calls for community-led housing to become a recognized part of formal housing policy whilst emphasizing the need for theoretical refinement of the process so as to prevent it from being captured by prevailing market-led narratives.

Assessment of the Efficiency of a Hybrid Photovoltaic and Photovoltaic Heating System (PV–Solar) in the Context of a Warehouse for a Housing Community in Poland

In light of global challenges such as the war in Ukraine and the depletion of fossil fuel resources, it is essential to explore sustainable energy solutions. Hybrid energy systems represent a potential solution, offering energy independence to urban housing estates and reducing CO2 emissions. This article aims to explore the feasibility of integrating photovoltaic systems (utilizing vacuum collectors) and combined utilities (system heat and electricity) in a hybrid setup, leveraging existing technical infrastructure with necessary modifications. A key aspect is to perform calculations on the amount of heat and electricity generated from these systems. The study analyzes the demand for heat and electricity among consumers compared to the estimated production from renewable sources. Calculations also include the potential energy savings and CO2 emission reductions achievable through the proposed solutions. The findings indicate that hybrid photovoltaic systems with heat storage could effectively address energy issues in urban housing estates, given adequate support and community involvement. The innovative methodology employed in this study encompasses both analytical and experimental research approaches. The analysis employs advanced statistical techniques and data integration to enhance understanding of the phenomena studied, while the experimental research provides robust results through controlled variable manipulation and precise measurement tools, thereby verifying the study’s objectives.

Making Neighbor Relations Through Materialities and Senses

Many scholars have turned to neighboring, or neighbor interactions and practices, as an open-ended process rather than a finished ideal. In doing so, they have disrupted the romanticization of the neighborhood as a community-driven and stable space. Through this lens, the proximity of dwelling is seen just as a possibility for social contact rather than a crucial characteristic of neighbor relations. Amid the rapid transformations in contemporary urban environments, neighbor relations as spatial practices are shaped and mediated by multiple forces. Based on five research cases from Brazil, Denmark, Finland, and Russia, this Special Issue, “Materialities and Senses of Neighboring,” explores how neighbor relations are shaped by material and sensory practices in the context of urban housing and localities. This editorial introduction to this Special Issue of Space and Culture highlights the main points of how the foregrounding of material and sensory aspects contributes to the studies of neighbor relations. It then shows how the cross-cutting themes of shared materiality, housing geometry, sensoriality, and imaginaries interplay in the contributors’ articles to develop the overarching idea of the collection.

Houston, you have a problem: How large cities accommodate more housing

AbstractWe document how a select set of large and growing metropolitan areas have accommodated growth in their housing supply over 40 years. In particular, we examine how housing provision has evolved for the largest four metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in California and Texas. Despite differences in their topographies and regulatory environments, we find several common dynamics. As these MSAs grow, we see that fewer new net units are built at the periphery and a smaller share of the new units are built as single‐family detached houses. As a greater share of new net units are built in infill locations, more units are built using higher‐density—and more costly—multifamily housing construction techniques. Interestingly, we see these housing supply patterns in both “pro‐growth” MSAs and “highly regulated” MSAs. Among all of our sample MSAs, we also find a declining share of Census tracts that participate in accommodating growth. Our results are consistent with the existence of a convex housing supply curve. We believe that this secular trend will pose genuine challenges to many urban housing policies aimed at improving affordability.

The moderating effects of Airbnb between urban conservation and housing rental market: A case study of Shanghai

The advent of peer-to-peer (P2P) home-sharing platforms such as Airbnb has noticeably impacted the housing rental market, as they have caused an increase in short-term rentals (STRs). Despite a growing body of research showing a positive correlation between Airbnb and housing rentals, the role of urban conservation efforts has received limited attention. In this study, we examine the moderating effects of Airbnb on the relationship between officially designated conservation zones and the housing rental market using data from township-level observations in Shanghai. The empirical evidence demonstrates that both the presence of historic conservation areas and the number of Airbnb listings have a considerable positive impact on property rental pricing. Furthermore, there is a direct correlation between the presence of more extensive conservation areas and an increase in house rental prices. Heterogeneity effects are evident in several townships in Shanghai with different levels of Airbnb activity, as the moderating effects are significant in townships with a large number of Airbnb listings. These results suggest that rising housing rents cannot be attributed entirely to the proliferation of STR services facilitated by home-sharing platforms. Future regulations for the housing rental market should address the impacts of home-sharing accommodations and the preservation and revitalization of designated conservation zones.

Digital economy, land resource mismatch, and urban housing costs: Evidence from China's digital governance policy perspective

Live in peace and work in contentment" encapsulates people's aspirations within a digital economy framework. Has the digital economy truly realized this ideal? To answer this query, this paper delves into the correlation between the digital economy, resource mismatch, and urban housing costs across 272 Chinese cities. It evaluates the impact of policies propelled by the digital economy, using the “Broadband China” strategy as a benchmark. The findings suggest several key conclusions: (i) The imbalance in land resources exacerbates the digital economy's impact on escalating urban housing expenses. This effect is particularly pronounced in cities within the Yangtze River Economic Zone, cities experiencing low economic growth rates, large cities with high employment levels, and cities with relatively low wages. (ii) The rise of the digital economy has contributed to increased urban housing costs. For every 0.1 unit increase in a city's digital economy level, there is an observed average rise of 9.87% in housing costs. (iii) Policies steered by the digital economy, such as the "Broadband China" strategy, have significantly increased urban housing costs. A higher degree of resource mismatch correlates with a more pronounced impact of the “Broadband China” strategy pilot in elevating urban housing expenses. It is imperative to emphasize the qualitative ramifications of the digital economy. This should coincide with efforts to enhance resource utilization efficiency, aiming to mitigate the adverse effects of the digital economy's advancement on housing costs.

中国城市更新政策的经济影响评估 －聚焦北京老住宅区的电梯安装－

This study examines the economic and welfare impacts of China’s aging population and the improvement of older urban housing. Using a sample of older neighborhoods in Beijing, we find that elevator renovation is significantly positively related to second-hand housing transaction volume and price growth. These results suggest that elevator installation improves residential satisfaction and stimulates the secondary housing market. Regression analysis showed that urban infrastructure improvements, income growth, and urbanization had a positive effect on increasing second-home transactions, while China’s aging population and rising home prices had a negative effect. In particular, in the eastern part of Beijing, elevator renovations were found to further boost second-home transactions. These findings provide empirical evidence of the economic and welfare impacts of China’s aging population and the improvement of urban old housing, suggesting the need for continued policy optimization and support.

Analyzing Ancient Ayodhya City Planning Through Ancient Text

Abstract: A significant aspect revolves around the astronomical positioning detailed in Sage Valmiki's Ramayan. By employing the "Platinum Gold" software, which enables simulation of the celestial sphere, extraction of English calendar dates corresponding to events mentioned in the Valmiki Ramayan, correlating them with planetary positions has been analyzing in the paper first. The findings reveal intriguing dates for significant events in Lord Rama's life, such as his birth, battles, and the completion of his exile. The meticulous alignment of these dates with the narrative in Valmiki's Ramayan underscores the precision and authenticity of the ancient text. The study also delves into the portrayal of Ayodhya, the ancient city described in the text, providing insights into its urban planning, fortifications, housing, and cultural significance. Through a multidisciplinary approach encompassing scientific methodologies and textual analysis, this work sheds light on the historical and cultural richness encapsulated in ancient Indian scriptures, offering valuable insights into the Vedic Ramayan eras

Aerial-terrestrial data fusion for fine-grained detection of urban clues

Those who work in the design, development, and management of cities are often limited by the scarcity of data. Particularly in the Global South, urban databases may be insufficient, out of date, or simply not available. However, digital technology is making it possible to fill gaps and build substantial datasets using “urban clues,” or attributes, gathered in high-resolution imagery by sky- and street-based cameras. Aided by machine learning, it is possible to detect specific building characteristics (purpose, condition, size, material, and construction)—yielding an array of geolocated details about the built environment. The resulting composite view can be made available, as we have done, in an open-source portal for use in urban management. The insights gained in this way may help address common urban management challenges, such as locating homes vulnerable to hazards such as flooding or earthquakes, identifying urban sprawl and informal housing, prioritizing infrastructure investments, and guiding public program support. This approach has been applied in Colombia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, St Lucia, and St Maarten.

The impact of housing prices and land financing on economic growth: Evidence from Chinese 277 cities at the prefecture level and above.

With the rapid progress of urbanization in China, the real estate industry, characterized by a long industrial chain, has become a pillar industry for economic development. Therefore, we inspect the nexus between land finance, housing prices, and economic growth. For this purpose, we use the panel data of 277 cities at the prefecture level or above in China from 2011 to 2019, and empirically examine it by using the Panel Vector Auto Regression (PVAR) model. The results show that there is a causal relationship between housing prices and economic growth. Housing prices promote economic growth in the short term and inhibit it in the long term. Both economic growth and housing prices have a significant impact on land finance. The economic growth show a significantly positive impact, while housing prices promote land finance in the short term with a long-term trend from positive to negative. This is the first study that tries to probe the relationship between urban housing prices, land finance, and economic growth by considering 277 prefecture-level and above cities in China. To promote the stable development of the regional economy, local governments need to overcome their dependence on the housing market and land finance and promote the healthy development of the housing market.

Brokerage and social segregation: a case study of cluster housing environment in Gading Serpong, Indonesia

PurposeThe paper aims is to see why social conflict caused by class segregation did not occur in Gading Serpong? What factors prevent conflict from occurring? This research seeks to find the causes of the nonoccurrence of social conflict due to class segregation in the Gading Serpong cluster area and explore the factors that restrain conflict there.Design/methodology/approachThis research is qualitative research with data collection techniques through in-depth interviews with several parties identified as brokerages in the research object area. In this context, one of the media and analytical tools is to recognize agents or brokers who connect two groups of people. Brokerage occurs in sectors, patterns or forms of informal, personal relationships; to understand it, one must pay close attention to micro-level relationships and social psychological processes. However, brokerage can have a significant impact on macro-level social relations, as it is generally associated with social integration processes.FindingsThe lack of involvement of developers in overcoming social conflicts that occur between Gading Serpong natives and migrants in Gading Serpong housing has given rise to new actors. These new actors are what we can call brokers, where they have a role as brokers who are able to connect between migrants and natives in the Gading Serpong area. The broker phenomenon is actually familiar in academia, where in practice the broker acts as someone who is able to find solutions to problems. The broker is the reason even social segregation is created between migrant citizens and native citizens in Gading Serpong but never becomes a conflict between them.Research limitations/implicationsEven if the brokerage phenomenon is the reason why there is no conflict over social segregation brokerage is not the only factor in this nonconflict segregation. Therefore, to cover the larger area of these suburban segregation problems, there must be further research on this topic.Practical implicationsThe practical implication of this research is to encourage the housing developers that create urban housing, such as clusters or other gated communities, to evaluate the social factors, such as potential segregation and conflict management. Also to encourage the developers to get involved and create some social engineering systems, like brokerage, market and other social agents, to create some nonconflict segregation or even more inclusive communities.Originality/valueThis research is uncovering the main reason why social segregation between migrant and native people in Gading Serpong, which could potentially lead to conflict, is never a conflict. The main reason is social actors like brokerage.