Interview with Tako Postma, Stadsbouwmeester Delft

When a million new homes are needed nationally, your own neighbourhood is as good a place to look for possible opportunities and implications as anywhere else. Marja Elsinga and Harald Mooij (1MH) met digitally with Tako Postma (TP), ‘Stadsbouwmeester’ (city architect) in Delft since 2019 and overviewing the municipality’s aim to build 15.000 new dwellings before 2040

Study on Housing Exclusion: Welfare Policies, Housing Provision and Labour Markets

This is a six country comparative study of the relationship between housing, welfare states and labour markets. The study employs both quantitative (using EU-SILC) and qualitative data

The Changing Determinants of Homeownership amongst Young People in Urban China

This article examines the determinants of home ownership among young people in China. More specifically, it aims to shed light on the shifting importance of the state (through ‘redistributive power’) and the ability of young people to compete in housing markets (‘market ability’) after more than three decades of market transition. Through an analysis of data from the China General Social Survey, the paper quantifies the impacts of four types of determinant on young people’s access to homeownership: political affiliation, organizational affiliation, territorial affiliation, and market ability. Results show that a redistributive power (through territorial, political and organizational affiliation) still influences access to housing, mainly in the form of territorial affiliation (hukou registration). Higher market ability does not contribute to homeownership but is related to independent living. The paper points to three housing policy priorities to improve young people’s housing opportunities: reduce inequalities resulting from unequal access to homeownership, improve options for young migrants, and improve conditions in the rented sector

Redistribution, Growth, and Inclusion: The Development of the Urban Housing System in P. R. China, 1949-2015

This paper explains the development of the urban housing system in P. R. China from 1949 to 2011 with an emphasis on the factors driving housing inequality in each policy period. We argue that the logic underpinning the housing policy had shifted from socialist redistribution to the stimulation of growth in the process of market economy reform and has been shifting toward social inclusionary growth since the 2010s. Over the course of time, two institutional factors (work units and household registration/hukou) have played a key role in determining individual households’ housing opportunities. The role of the work units has gradually waned since the 2000s, but the hukou system continues to be important. In the last part of the paper, we set forth the latest changes in Chinese housing policy. Since 2011, the central government has been striving toward a more comprehensive system of housing provision with the aim of making the housing market more inclusive (though not necessarily more equal). Finally, we express concern about an emerging though embedded source of housing inequality: the unequal distribution of family wealth

Compact Housing for Incremental Growth: The K206 RDP Project in Alexandra, Johannesburg

The South African Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) was initiated to provide subsidised housing for low-income families. However, the programme faced challenges in establishing adequate technical guidelines and standards, resulting in subpar housing quality. This article discusses the multifaceted nature of subsidised housing design, emphasising the importance of incorporating technical housing standards as well as the spatial needs of residents based on their context (at both domestic and neighbourhood scales). The article focuses on the K206 housing RDP project in Alexandra, Johannesburg, as a case study that transitioned from generic technical standards to a resident-responsive design scheme that was inspired by the backyard room incremental expansions that were already prevalent in the Alexandra context. A critical review of South Africa's RDP housing design technical standards and policy is explored. The article also examines the density standards and allowances for incremental expansions introduced by the K206 project, analysing data derived from fieldwork observations, interviews, and the spatial analysis of 26 dwelling units. The study's findings underscore the significance of maintaining an equilibrium between technical standards and resident-responsive design decisions. The results demonstrate that tailoring the RDP housing design solutions to unique contextual needs can significantly elevate the quality of life of residents concerning income generation and flexibility for incremental expansion. However, this balance is delicate and disparities between the RDP technical standards and user-initiated development over time also have the potential to ultimately impair residents' living spaces

Risks and interrelationships of subdistrict house prices

This paper uses individual house transaction data from 1995 to 2014 in Amsterdam to explore the risks and interrelationships of the subdistrict house prices. Simple indicators suggest that house prices grow faster and are more risky in the central business district and its immediate surrounding areas than in the peripherals. Furthermore, we observe an over time decreasing inter-variations between the subdistrict house price growth rates, whereas we find a lead-lag and house price causal flow from the more central to the peripheral subdistricts