Housing and its special distribution
What is housing
Structures or buildings developed to shelter people from the elements
Planned or unplanned
Permanent or temporary
Housing in cities: classified according to height and density
Planned: usually built by the government or private companies
Unplanned: usually built by settlers or squatters illegally
Unplanned: Can be stripped down/destroyed
What are the different types of housing
Informal
Formal
Found in desirable land
Built on locally unwanted land use (lulu)
Built by government or private developers
Legal right to occupy land
Access to basic services
High quality building materials
Concrete
Glass
Cement
No legal right to occupy land
Lack of access to basic services
Poor quality building materials
Water
Sanitation
Electricity
Supporting infrastructure
Protect from rain and strong wind
Safe from fire
BCA sets standards
Zinc sheets
Recycled lumber
Easily collapse
Prone to fires
Unplanned
Illegal occupants
May be evicted
Water
Sanitation
Electricity
Near sewage, toxic factories, garbage dumps
In planned spaces near industrial areas or amenities
Away from pollution and heavy industries
Quality infrastructure
Near roads, piped water, electricity, proper waste disposal
Found near industrial sites
Easier for residents to travel to work
Factors affecting location of housing
Land use planning
Developers
Land price
Housing financial support
Guidelines drawn up by planning authorities
restrictive land use, zoning - to ensure well-developed built-up environment, to shape the layout of cities
High rise vs low rise
High density vs low density
Permanent: not planned to be destroyed/taken down
Built by settlers or non-qualified builders (without permit)
Government: considers needs of people
Private developers: develop property for profit, choose commercially viable sites
Cost of land
Governments regulate pricing to ensure affordability
Financial support schemes for developers help lower cost of building houses sell houses at affordable prices
Chapter 9-Sustainable development of housing