Showing papers in "Journal of Housing and The Built Environment in 2013"

“Third places” and social interaction in deprived neighbourhoods in Great Britain

Abstract: This paper explores social interaction in local ‘public’ social spaces such as local shops, pubs, cafes, and community centres in deprived neighbourhoods. More specifically, it examines the importance, role and function of these places, which have been described by Oldenberg and Brissett (Qual Sociol 5(4):265–284, 1982), Oldenburg (Urban design reader. Architectural Place, Oxford, 2007) as being “third places” of social interaction after the home (first) and workplace (second). It does so by drawing on data gleaned from in-depth interviews with 180 residents in six deprived areas neighbourhoods across Great Britain, conducted as part of a study of the links between poverty and place funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. The paper notes that local third places are an important medium for social interaction in these areas, although their importance appears to vary by population group. It notes that shops appear to be a particularly important social space. It also identifies some of the barriers to social interaction within third places and concludes by highlighting some of the key implications for policy to emerge from the research.

Occupant behaviour in energy efficient dwellings: evidence of a rebound effect

Abstract: The energy required for space heating has been significantly reduced in recent decades by making use of insulation and more efficient heating and ventilation systems. Even so, wide variations in energy consumption are still observed between similar dwellings and between actual and predicted levels. It is thought that these variations stem from differences in occupant behaviour, the structural quality of the building, and a rebound effect. This paper statistically examines differences in occupant behaviour in relation to the building characteristics of the housing stock in the Netherlands and explores the possible existence of a rebound effect on the consumption of energy for space heating. Rebound effect can be defined as the increase on energy consumption in services for which improvements in energy efficiency reduce the costs. We found that although energy consumption is lower in energy efficient dwellings, analysis of the behaviour variables indicates their occupants tend to prefer higher indoor temperatures and to ventilate less. This finding might be related to a rebound effect on occupant behaviour. However, the improvement of thermal properties and systems efficiency still lead to a reduction on energy consumption for heating.

Influence of urban planning regulations on the microclimate in a hot dry climate: The example of Damascus, Syria

Abstract: Urban planning regulations influence not only the urban form; they also have a great impact on the microclimate in urban areas. This paper deals with the relationship between the urban planning regulations and microclimate in the hot dry city of Damascus. The main purpose is to highlight the shortcomings of the existing urban planning regulations. The microclimatic parameters necessary for the thermal comfort assessment of pedestrians were determined through simulations with the software ENVI-met. It is shown that the street design—as regards aspect ratio, orientation and the presence of trees—has a great influence on ground surface temperatures and thermal comfort. Moreover, the type of buildings—whether detached or attached (street canyons)—has an impact. For deep canyons there is an interactive relationship between aspect ratio, orientation and vegetation. However, for streets with detached buildings, there is only a weak influence of street orientation and aspect ratio but a strong influence of vegetation on surface temperatures and outdoor thermal comfort. The study shows the importance of modifying the planning regulations in Damascus for new areas by allowing smaller setbacks, narrower streets, higher buildings, etc.

Inter-generational ties, financial transfers and home-ownership support

Abstract: Home-ownership is transmitted between generations. Parental gifts form one of the mechanisms through which the intergenerational transmission of home-ownership takes place. Using the Netherlands Kinship Panel Study, we investigated the influence of parental and children’s resources and other characteristics on financial support from parents to children. A major independent variable was parental home-ownership. As dependent variables, we distinguished between financial support towards buying a home, and financial support in the form of gifts of € 5,000 or more ever received. By making this distinction, we could test whether homeowner parents were particularly likely to help their children become homeowners rather than giving other types of financial help. The results did not indicate such specific gift-giving: parental home-ownership was just as important to other types of monetary support as to home-ownership support. However, the distance to the place where the adult child had grown up was negatively associated with receiving home-ownership support but not with receiving other financial transfers.

Transforming South Africa’s low-income housing projects through backyard dwellings: intersections with households and the state in Alexandra, Johannesburg

Abstract: South Africa’s ‘housing programme’ transfers a fully-funded serviced site and house to qualifying beneficiaries with aims of progressively addressing poverty through homeownership. Despite delivering close to 3 million houses since 1994, informal housing persists, featuring even in some of these new neighbourhoods. This paper focuses on the intersection between a particular mode of informal housing, backyard dwellings, and state-subsidised low-income housing projects. Backyard dwellings arguably contradict state housing objectives by symbolising informality and disorder; a symptom of inadequacy that the housing programme strives to overcome. We consider first the views and experiences of landlords (owners of state-subsided houses) and tenants (occupiers of privately-provided backyard dwellings) in a section of Alexandra, Johannesburg. We then reflect on the potential of backyard accommodation within post-apartheid housing delivery, arguing that despite challenges, the phenomenon of planned, state-led infrastructure generating secondary accommodation represents an opportunity rather than an example of failed modernity. South Africa’s backyard dwellings resonate with similar forms of self-funded and managed rental stock across the global South. As a quick, flexible and regenerative housing asset, cumulative acceptance of such rental markets is necessary—along with viewing the driving actors as astute innovators in shelter and livelihood provision.

Housing and health in an informal settlement upgrade in Cape Town, South Africa

Abstract: Taking a socio-ecological perspective the World Health Organisation recognizes that housing comprises four interrelated dimensions—the physical structure of the house, the home, the neighbourhood infrastructure and the community. Housing related health vulnerability arises when residents are exposed to poor conditions in any one of these dimensions and augmented when two or more co-exists. Regardless the relationship between housing and health in the global south remains largely under explored; in particular there has been little focus on health outcomes resulting from upgrading of informal settlements. Applying this framework we report from an in situ upgrading of the informal settlement of Imizamo Yethu in Cape Town, South Africa. Data gathered from surveys are used to determine whether differences in each of these dimensions exist between housing type; both formal upgrades and shacks. Results show that whilst no significant differences exist in self-reported physical health, residents of formal housing are less likely to report mental health issues, have a stronger sense of belonging and report greater satisfaction with both neighbourhood and home than shack residents. However, these contested spaces are not easily interpreted and community tension, exclusion and disadvantage highlight the complex interactions between each of the interrelated dimensions and policies regarding housing intervention. The paper highlights the complex relationship between housing and health that is often lost in simplistic measures of housing when outcomes related to the indoor environment alone are considered.

More than twenty years after the repeal of the Group Areas Act: housing, spatial planning and urban development in post-apartheid South Africa

Abstract: More than twenty years after the repeal of the Group Areas Act, South Africa is facing a number of challenges with regards to housing, spatial planning and urban development. Government institutions, scholars, NGO’s and local communities have been looking for innovative ways to improve the housing conditions of all South Africans. With this special issue, we aim to demonstrate that international insights cannot only be relevant to understand and enrich South African cases, but that an in-depth analysis of the South African experiments can also be meaningful for academic analyses and political decisions in other parts of the world. In order to stimulate such a cross-fertilization, this article will briefly summarize the current situation in South Africa in the public housing sector, the private housing sector and the self-help approach. We will also introduce the eight papers of this special issue.

Competing rationalities and informal settlement upgrading in Cape Town, South Africa: a recipe for failure

Abstract: The South African National Department of Housing’s ‘Breaking New Ground: A Comprehensive Plan for the Creation of Sustainable Human Settlements’ was released in 2004. This policy directive acknowledged that informal settlements had grown significantly since 1994. It resulted in the development and implementation of the informal settlement upgrading programme across the country. The principle objective of the study discussed in this paper was to investigate the City of Cape Town’s (the City) rationale in the technique of upgrading the informal settlements of Makhaza and New Rest in Cape Town and explore the implications of this rationale for women’s social networks in these two settlements. The research has found that the rationale used by the City to plan and implement the upgrading of informal settlements is contradictory to the needs of the residents within these settlements. The settlements therefore do not meet the needs of the residents (particularly women) and do not enable or ensure the maintenance of strong social relationships which are crucial for the survival of livelihoods in these areas.

The effect of housing assistance arrangements on household recovery: an empirical test of donor-assisted and owner-driven approaches

Abstract: The paper assesses whether different types of housing assistance–owner-driven in situ or donor-assisted resettlement housing programs—influence perceptions of household recovery by tsunami-affected households. Utilizing data gathered in India 3½ years after the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, we compared the perceptions of households provided with either in situ housing assistance or resettlement/relocation housing assistance. The extent to which households have recovered from the disaster was also examined to gauge the importance of housing arrangements in household recovery. We found that the beneficiaries of the resettlement programs generally experienced improvements in basic household amenities, while households provided with financial and material assistance for in situ housing repairs and rebuilding reported better access to essential services. When assessed in terms of perceptions of overall household recovery, the beneficiaries of in situ housing assistance programs fared better than beneficiaries of the resettlement programs despite the former receiving lower monetary assistance. These findings offer new insights to architects, designers, and public officials on what types of housing assistance arrangements expedite the overall recovery process and can help to evaluate and refocus funding towards specific housing recovery programs. The analysis thereby makes it easier to gauge the successes and failures of post disaster housing recovery programs.

Austerity and reform to affordable housing policy

Abstract: The recession has created significant challenges for the government with regard to providing affordable housing. Even during the UK’s housing boom the supply of housing failed to keep pace with demand. Therefore, increasing housing supply and improving affordability in a recessionary period will require the government to innovatively utilise their limited resources. Following the Comprehensive Spending Review in 2010 severe cuts to the housing budget were made and radical reforms to housing and planning policy have been proposed by the coalition government. The paper briefly discusses the UK housing market and affordable housing policy and practice recently employed in England. Subsequently a discussion of the coalition government’s recent reforms to housing and planning policy, concerning affordable housing, is presented.

A ratio or budget benchmark for comparing affordability across countries

Abstract: In this article, the methodological strengths and weaknesses of two common housing affordability indicators—the expenditure-to-income ratio and the residual income—are discussed, using data for the Belgian region of Flanders and the Netherlands. Affordability standards are used in order to distinguish the group facing affordability problems. In case of residual income, we use minimum budget standards—excluding housing—that allow for decent participation in society. For the expenditure-to-income ratio, we apply the internationally frequently used 30 % benchmark. Our comparison of the two methods results in a preference for the budget approach. Consequently, we explore the possibilities of applying the budget approach in a comparative context. We conclude by making recommendations for future research.

Urban renewal without displacement? Belgium’s ‘housing contract experiment’ and the risks of gentrification

Abstract: Gentrification has become part and parcel of urban policies throughout the world. Critics have argued against those policies but they have not yet developed concrete and comprehensive alternatives. This paper seeks to remedy this omission by investigating the Belgian 'housing contract' experiment (2005-2007). Quite exceptionally, Belgium's 'housing contract' experiment was based on the premise that housing policies should improve the quality of life in deprived urban neighborhoods without displacing the poor. We investigate both the philosophy of the housing contract experiment as well as its effects. On the basis of this evaluation, we sketch the contours of a housing policy that incorporates rent gap theory and counters the negative effects arising from disinvestment and gentrification.

Inclusionary housing policy: a tool for re-shaping South Africa’s spatial legacy?

Abstract: In South Africa, recent initiatives to restructure cities towards greater compaction and integration include the formulation of an inclusionary housing policy, where private property developers are expected to offer some affordable housing in their developments. This paper examines policy and practice in the City of Johannesburg where an inclusionary housing policy is intended to work together with a growth management strategy to direct infrastructural investment. However the policy has hardly been used. The paper examines the policy and its development, initiatives to use it, and the challenges it faces. Key constraints include: resistance by the property development industry and middle/upper-income residents; South Africa’s huge income inequalities and hence housing price cliffs; and institutional and legal issues. These concerns have in part underpinned the lack of supportive national policy. In this context, local policies have been confined to specific, deal-driven projects, but these have also been fraught with problems, and have delivered few affordable units. The potential of inclusionary housing policy for reshaping South African cities therefore seems limited, although it could play a small role if national policy with careful attention to implementation were formulated. An alternative form of mixed income developer-led housing seems to have greater potential, although it is focused on low/middle-income housing and relies to a significant extent on government subsidies, in contrast to inclusionary housing proper.

Prospects for walkable, mixed-income neighborhoods: insights from U.S. developers

Abstract: In the U.S. today, there is a significant danger that walkable communities are becoming unaffordable to low and even moderate-income residents. This paper reports on the results of a survey of affordable housing developers that was conducted to provide a better understanding of what kinds of strategies could be used to substantially increase the prevalence of walkable, mixed-income neighborhoods from the point of view of developers. Thirty-four developers from around the U.S. were interviewed by telephone in November and December, 2010. Five themes emerged from the survey: the need for financing and access to capital and subsidy; the need for reform of financial regulation; the need for reform of land use regulation; the need for incentives; and the need for better communication and networking. Responses to the survey underscored the frustrations affordable housing developers are having with development more generally, and how those frustrations are amplified when trying to locate affordable housing in walkable, mixed-income neighborhoods. The paper concludes by suggesting strategies that could be employed to help promote walkable, mixed-income neighborhoods, beyond the obvious need for better access to capital: support for research that focuses on the benefits of mixed-income neighborhoods; documentation and illumination of best practices; and the fostering of communication and partnerships among a diverse set of advocates.

The dual land management systems as an influence on physical development outcomes around Kumasi, Ghana

Abstract: Uncoordinated urban dispersal, driven by demand for housing and space on the part of growing populations, is a common outcome around many major cities. The lack of co-ordination is often associated with technical and political weaknesses in land management systems. However, in developing countries, this outcome is also shaped by the tension between co-existing traditional and official land management systems. The paper explores that idea in an analysis of the urban fringe of Kumasi, Ghana. Here, unpredictable land release by semi-autonomous village chiefs is matched with a parallel set of official land sector institutions that attempt to manage, monitor and enforce regulatory mechanisms. To analyze this situation, the paper uses interviews with actors in both the traditional land tenure system and the official planning system, as well as with homebuilders in urban fringe locations. After describing each system, it explores local scale problems seen in disputes in the traditional system and delays and lack of enforcement in the official system. This analysis shows how these problems arise in part as the two systems operate side-by-side but use very different perspectives on ownership, spatial units and time horizons. In order to reduce the uncertainties that contribute to the dispersal of homeowners, the paper proposes that some of the weaknesses of traditional land administration may be addressed through education and by incorporating some of the functions into the official system. However, change will also require shifts in the regulatory powers in the traditional system and major improvements in the operation of the official approaches.

Ambivalent geographies of encounter inside and around the fortified homes of middle class Whites in Cape Town

Abstract: Drawing on in-depth interviews with 78 middle class Whites in two neighborhoods of Cape Town, this paper focuses on domestic geographies of encounter. By looking at the motivations to fortify houses with walls, gates and alarms, it will be demonstrated, first, that seemingly banal actions to secure the residential environment are not only dependent upon the socio-spatial exclusion of poor people, but also specifically targeting it. Secondly, it will be argued that fortified homes provide, nevertheless, one of the rare places where White, middle class South Africans interact across class and race lines. Precisely because of the perceived absence of a crime threat, encounters with domestic workers, builders and homeless people inside and around fortified homes do not only help middle class Whites to shatter their naive assumptions about crime, poverty and privilege, but to set up small-scale acts of generosity as well. Based on these findings, the conclusion raises three issues to take up in the geographies of encounter literature. They relate to the nature of interactions, the conditions under which they emerge and their potential effects.

Modes of housing production in developing countries: the contemporary role of land, labour, and capital in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract: The strategies of participants in housing production, in developing countries, are diverse and not fully understood. Governments in most developing countries have not been able to, sufficiently, explore how the production factors: land, labour and capital, impact on housing production. As a result, many policies formulated by governments aimed at stimulating housing production are found to result in unintended outcomes: they do not always align with the way housing is actually created. This study uses the production factors to assess how motivations are shaped and different modes of housing production result. The aim is to gain an improved understanding of how housing developers, builders and government, impact modes of production. The method includes synthesis of past studies on factors of housing production in Lagos. In parallel, it also involves visits and interviews with some selected developers and agencies to allow a deeper engagement with their activities. This is in addition to direct observation and interviews undertaken through purposeful selection of some autonomous (on-site) builders. As an exploratory study, it observes that a better approach to land supply is significantly beneficial in shaping the modes and capacity of housing. The study helps understand the strategies of participants in housing production in developing countries, especially in Lagos. It recommends that efficient land supply to the autonomous on-site builders should be a focus for policy makers. This will contribute to the production of more housing thereby facilitating an improved production of present and future housing needs of the population.

The South African area-based urban renewal programme: Experiences from Cape Town

Abstract: In his 2001 State of the Nation address former President Mbeki announced the launch of the Urban Renewal Programme (URP) as an area-based approach which would form part of a 10 years initiative to address poverty and underdevelopment in targeted areas. It had a specific emphasis on improving joint government planning and implementation. Townships were spatially engineered by the architects of apartheid and excluded by design. They are today typified by high levels of poverty and crime. It is in the undoing of these two social malaises that the URP has anchored itself on the policy agenda. The URP focused on eight urban townships in the country as pilots that would pave the way for an urban development strategy on urban renewal to be developed and implemented nationally once the 10 years pilot period elapsed. The paper is a review of lessons learnt and best practices in two anchor URP projects in Cape Town, South Africa.

The politics of ‘race’ and the transformation of the post-apartheid space economy

Abstract: This paper provides an overview of the challenge of spatial reconfiguration facing South Africa Set against a brief overview of the key aspects of the post apartheid urban policy milieu that, notwithstanding significant tensions within the ruling party, gave rise to a cabinet level policy commitment to a National Spatial Development Perspective (NSDP) The paper reflects on three key themes The first issue outlined in the paper is the massive demographic shift that is taking place that underpins the development challenge In particular trends in the process of population growth, labour market change and urbanization are summarized Second, given the dominance of Africans in urban spaces, the paper outlines how efforts to achieve racial integration have erroneously focused on rural over urban development A distinction is drawn between traditionalist pro-African views that give preferences to rural spending and modernist views that articulate an overly non-racial discourse that embraces a shift to urban development Finally we argue that the failure of spatial planning as proposed by the NSDP was not inevitable, despite real flaws in the policy and its execution The dithering on spatial policy that surrounded the NSDP must be understood as the outcome of political contestation within the ruling party and a misplaced conflation of the categories of rural and African

Housing vouchers as a means of poverty deconcentration and race desegregation: Patterns and factors of voucher recipients’ spatial concentration in Cleveland

Abstract: Housing Choice Voucher Program is the single largest housing subsidy program in the USA with the goal of poverty deconcentration and race desegregation. This study aims to identify the presence and locations of voucher holders’ spatial concentration, and to investigate the factors associated with the location outcomes of voucher recipients in Cleveland from 2005 to 2009. Hotspot analysis indicated that voucher holders have clustered together and their concentrations have changed during the five years. Over time, concentration patterns spread out from the central city to suburbs. Spatial concentrations were significantly different by race. Regression analysis identified several factors associated with voucher recipients’ concentration, including race, availability of affordable housing, poverty rates, vacancy rates, and accessibility to public transportation. The spatial error model estimation and Geographically Weighted Regression account for spatial autocorrelation and spatial heterogeneity. Results from the study presented the limited potential of the voucher program since voucher holders are still clustered in specific neighborhoods, even though they tend to move in less poor neighborhoods over time.

The middle classes and the remaking of the suburban family community: evidence from the Netherlands

Abstract: This paper presents data on everyday life in three recently built Dutch suburban areas constructed under the Vinex national urban planning policy. Its focus is on family households and today’s division of work and care, social life and neighbourhood activism. The results show that suburbs are no longer breeding grounds for the traditional nuclear family. But, while the rate of working mothers is high, the limited use of professional child care still reflects the tradition that maintains that children are best cared for in the private domain. Having children is crucial for putting down roots and developing social networks. In contrast to the past, both working mothers and fathers are actively constructing family communities. The newly established family communities are firmly of the middle class and tend to exclude childless and lowerclass households. Neighbourhood activism involves both the reproduction of an unspoiled and orderly environment and the realisation of a suburban paradise for children. This paper further reveals differences in the suburban areas studied and discusses the false dichotomy between the urban and the suburban within the metropolitan area.

The peoples housing process … getting the quality in the quantity?

Abstract: This paper introduces the PHP (People’s Housing Process) approach to housing provision in South-Africa as a noteworthy third way that allows housing provision for the urban poor. In this contribution we will illustrate how, in an assisted approach of self-help housing, the government can play an important role in safeguarding the production of homes rather than merely providing dwellings. In doing so taking into account the more intangible and symbolic meaning of the house and home, which we argue is a central factor for a sustainable housing strategy. This assisted self-help housing scheme was approved in 1998 and was inspired by the work of the homeless people’s federation and saving and housing schemes from around the globe. The further development of the scheme has been a challenging process but we argue that the PHP programme deserves more attention as a housing provision mechanism. Additionally, one of the strengths of the PHP approach is its applicability in a wider area of project types, from township upgrading to hostel redevelopment projects, and illustrated in this contribution by introducing the hostel redevelopment poject Ilinge Labahlali in Cape Town. In what follows, the PHP approach is introduced, and the increasing interest of the government illustrated. Then, using two case studies, the importance of the assistance of the government and NGOs is elaborated upon. In conclusion the challenges that still need to be met are highlighted.

Linkages between income, housing quality and disease occurrence in rural Ghana

Abstract: Poverty, environmental sustainability and health issues have attracted global attention in recent years. However, the public health implications of human activities within the environment are most often glossed over. As embedded in the Millennium Development Goals, the major developmental challenges of our time are poverty, environmental decay and ill health. Despite the global increase in poverty rates and the corresponding increase in morbidity and mortality rates in deprived communities, very little effort has been made over the years to juxtapose poverty, environment and health in order to elucidate the relationship between them. This paper examines the built environment situation in rural Ghana with a focus on the Amansie West District. It analyzes the impact of housing poverty and poor sanitation on the health conditions of households in rural Ghana and highlights policy approaches and gaps for ensuring environmental sustainability in Ghana. A sample of 306 rural households from nine rural areas in the Amansie West District in Southern Ghana was used for data collection with heads of households as units of inquiry. Data collection techniques included questionnaires, structured interviews, focus group discussions and participant observation. Relevant data were analyzed with both descriptive statistics and participatory housing assessment techniques. The analysis indicates that the poor-quality housing and sanitation conditions in the study area are a function of low household income levels. It further establishes a close association between housing quality and disease occurrence in the rural communities selected for this study. The paper concludes that the nature of the built environment as regards rural housing and sanitation is a significant determinant of disease prevalence in the study villages. Thus, it provides a window on the public health implications of the poor built environment in the Amansie West rural communities in Ghana.

Mortgage-equity release: the potential of housing wealth for future Dutch retirees

Abstract: Interest in the use of housing wealth for future retirees is a topic of growing interest amongst policymakers and scientists. Owner-occupiers who are outright owners have lower housing expenses than tenants do, and they have substantial nest eggs. Mortgage markets leapt on this development and offers special products for the elderly, with which they could release their housing wealth. The question in this paper involves the extent to which households build housing equity (i.e. wealth) that could be released. This question is particularly interesting for the Netherlands, the country with the highest mortgage debt per capita in the European Union. This paper aims to combine two different theoretical debates: the debate on “the trade-off between owner-occupation and the welfare state” and the debate on the “life cycle theory”. It introduces the concept of the equity-to-value ratio, which is derived from the trade-off theory, and reveals the extent to which the people in the Netherlands accumulate housing wealth. This ratio shows that households do build equity. Further analysis indicates that this equity is not built as much by repaying the loan as it is by taking advantage of house price increases.

Architects and non-architects: differences in perception of property design

Abstract: This study is an analysis of the perceptions of experts and non-experts in the building industry concerning a series of real estate promotions in the city of Valencia (Spain). Differential semantics were used to obtain a set of 7 dimensions or affective responses which users employ to assess real estate offerings. Two global evaluations were obtained, differentiating between purchase for residential or investment purposes. The fieldwork was done on a sample of 160 individuals (80 architects and 80 non-architects) who were asked to give their opinion on physical stimuli which included information from real estate promotion advertising brochures. Linear regression was used to estimate 4 predictive models to estimate overall customer assessment of a given offering based on an evaluation of different dimensions or affective responses. The results show different responses in both groups and for the two global assessment variables. Differential semantics appears to be a good instrument for measuring the subjective component of consumers’ emotional states. It is an emotional design technique which provides information on the emotions an object generates by capturing the affective meaning the user attaches to it.

Homeownership, family and the gift effect: the case of Cyprus

Abstract: Among the welfare pillars, family has been important relative to state or market in housing provision in Cyprus. In this respect Cyprus is similar to other southern European/Mediterranean countries, which are generally considered to have welfare systems characterised by the importance of family. Influence of family, described here by the term ‘familiocracy’, is reflected in what seems to be an extremely high rate of housing gifts in Cyprus, where parents provide their children with a gift of a dwelling when they get married. That this is a form of de-commodification in housing, is reflected in the fact that income and homeownership are not significantly related. Income and receipt of house as gift are also not significantly related. Gift-receiving households do have different consumption patterns from non-gift-receiving households however, but this is also shown to be related to familiocracy.

The role of advertisements in the marketing of gated communities as a new Western suburban lifestyle: a case study of the Greater Cairo Region, Egypt

Abstract: This paper examines the advertising themes and rhetoric that have been assembled in the marketing of the Greater Cairo Region’s (GCR) newly built gated communities. We demonstrate how place-marketing strategies, in this case, selling the Egyptian dream home, draws upon specific landscape offerings and values. It shows how aspects of globalization interact with processes of urbanization in the GCR to create new landscapes of housing consumption. The globalization of mass media has influenced consumption preferences and brought new consumption choices to the GCR’s residents. This study concludes that the demand for gated communities in the GCR, in large part, has been created by developers who foster an image of these areas as symbols of ‘modernism’ and Western lifestyles. Underlying these sales efforts is the common assumption held by developers, potential buyers and segments of the larger society that the lifestyles of Western urbanization should naturally emerge as the result of economic development.

From energy efficiency to integrated sustainability in housing development in China: a case study in a hot-summer/cold-winter zone in China

Abstract: China has introduced a series of policies and laws to promote green building since 2000. Energy efficiency is the central issue, partly due to China’s energy structure. As advocated by these policies and laws, more and more green buildings are being built. The overall aim of this paper is to explore a more sustainable framework for green residential buildings, from energy efficiency to integrated sustainability. A critical case study is presented of the Landsea Housing Project in Nanjing, a hot-summer/cold-winter zone. The analysis suggests applying a systematic approach—covering all aspects of green housing development, including technical, economic, social and environmental—in China, arguing that this is a more effective way to meet the sustainability goals.

Longitudinal analysis of the formation and realisation of preferences to move into homeownership in the Netherlands

Abstract: This study investigates how life course characteristics and housing market circumstances affect the formation and realisation of preferences to move into homeownership. Using a data set from the Netherlands in which data from three cross-sectional housing surveys are enriched with longitudinal register data for the period 1998–2008, we follow aspiring homeowners regarding their actual residential behaviour. We find that only 31 % of the aspiring homeowners became homeowners within 2 years, approximately 13 % moved to rental homes, and the vast majority did not move at all. Insufficient socioeconomic resources and a high house price-to-rent ratio hamper the realisation of preferences to move into homeownership. However, these hampering factors are at least as important as the extent to which individuals prefer to move into homeownership. This last finding suggests that housing tenure preferences cannot be viewed as ‘pure’ preferences.

Design according to the law: juridical dimensions of architecture for assisted living in Sweden

Abstract: This paper presents an analysis of the Swedish laws concerning care to older people and the architectural design of housing for them in assisted living. There is one predominant model of assisted-living facilities in Sweden, which the author argues is the result of a norm, rather than the requirements stated in the Social Services Act, which is the over-arching law. This Act states that care to the old person should be individualised. The predominant assisted-living model offers small and identical bed-sitting rooms to each resident where they spend more than 15 h per day. It is suggested that these rooms do not accommodate the wishes and needs of each and every individual. Assisted living in Sweden is legally ranked in the same category as ordinary housing. However, medical and institutional mind-sets from the past are embedded in a normative way of thinking that take precedence in the production of these facilities. This norm is nurtured by lower level legislation and rules, such as standards.