CRITERIA FOR SUSTAINABLE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY

The affordability of housing is a pressing problem that not only affects individual households but also has implications for the wider economy and environment, e.g. employment, health and sustainability. Thus it is evident that providing affordable housing is not simply about cheap and decent homes, it entails having regard for a broad range of factors. Housing affordability is traditionally defined and assessed in terms of economic criteria; namely housing costs in relation to incomes. Areas are therefore often regarded as affordable simply because they are low cost. However this indicates nothing about the quality of the housing or the environment in which the housing is situated. An integral part of the research is the theory that affordability is not only affected by housing costs and incomes, but by a wider range of criteria that also influence a household’s quality of life. It is the view of the authors that housing affordability must be evaluated in a wider context if more sustainable outcomes are to be derived from housing policy. In a bid to create more successful communities for the future the paper seeks draw closer links between affordability and sustainability issues, rather than viewing affordability as a purely monetary concern. The research aims to develop a criteria system that represents sustainable housing affordability. The paper presents findings from questionnaire surveys, distributed to housing and planning professionals, which sought to verify and prioritise the criteria that are important to sustainable housing affordability. Keywords: affordable housing, housing affordability, sustainable communities, sustainable housing, sustainable living environment

An introductory review to the Special Issue: Attractive Places to Live

Presently, almost 75% of Europeans live in cities and urban areas, and this figure is expected to rise an additional 5% by 2020 (European Commission, 2010). Therefore, it is not surprising that national governments across Europe are committed to making their cities more attractive and sustainable in order to increase citizens’ quality of life, now and in the future (DETR, 2000; European Commission, 2010; ODPM, 2005; Urban Task Force, 1999). But what makes an attractive urban living environment? Attraction is a subjective preference and people of different ages, cultures and gender, for example, may have diverse views on what is attractive. Accordingly, the elements that contribute to making places attractive to live in are wide ranging and may be different for each person. Nevertheless, it has been suggested that the attractiveness of an urban area appears to centre on the quality of life of its users (Van den Berg et al., 1999). In order to increase quality of life, principles of good urban design, planning, regeneration and sustainable communities are widely promoted (DETR and CABE, 2000; DTLR and CABE, 2001; ODPM, 2003a, 2005; Urban Task Force, 1999). Good urban design is central to creating high-quality and attractive places to live (DETR and CABE, 2000; DTLR and CABE, 2001). Well-planned, well-designed and well-managed living environments are likely to create a far superior quality of life than for those who live elsewhere (DTLR and CABE, 2001)

Feedback on feedback practice: perceptions of students and academics

While feedback is widely considered central to student learning, students across the higher education sector commonly report dissatisfaction with the feedback they receive. In contrast, academics often feel they provide quality and informative feedback. This article explores and compares the perceptions of students and academics with regard to feedback practice. The paper presents the results of questionnaire surveys conducted with academics and students at the School of the Built Environment, Liverpool John Moores University. It highlights the perceptions of academics and students with regard to preferences for different types of feedback, timeliness of feedback, students’ engagement and interest in feedback, quality feedback and satisfaction with current practice. The findings indicate a significant discord between staff and students in relation to certain aspects of feedback practice, namely opinions on students’ engagement and interest in feedback, satisfaction with current practice and feedback preference. Similarities in viewpoints were also found in relation to quality feedback. © 2015 Taylor & Franci

EC71-799 Engineering the Irrigation Pumping Plant

Extension Circular 71-799: Engineering the irrigation pumping plant; pumps selection, pump drives, setting up the drives, power units, and direction for matching an electric motor to an irrigation pump

Older People’s Preferences for Housing and Environment Characteristics

Population ageing presents significant challenges for many countries, one of which is the provision of adequate housing. Developing understanding of the needs and preferences of ageing societies will be crucial in order to assist in the provision of suitable housing and communities that are sustainable in the long term. While a preference to ‘age in place’ is clear in the literature, comparatively less academic research is available on older people’s preferences for more specific housing and environment attributes. The aim of this study is to identify the main housing and environment characteristics that are linked to the health and wellbeing of the elderly and determine the preferences for such characteristics via a survey with UK residents aged 55+. The results indicate a strong preference for independent living and an increasing desire for bungalows in later life. Housing conditions, energy efficiency, thermal comfort, and home adaptions to facilitate ageing in place are particularly important housing characteristics to older people. The location and environment are also key drivers of housing preferences; a safe neighbourhood, accessibility to amenities, public transport, and a clean and walkable environment are particularly important. Preferences varied with age, but gender has a less significant impact on the preferences expressed. The findings of this study will be valuable for stakeholders engaged in housing policy and provision for older people

Research preparedness in undergraduate property and construction curriculum: the student experience

This study investigates the student experience of undergraduate research in order to develop a “research preparedness framework” that can be applied to the development of undergraduate curriculum design within a case study organisation. This research utilises built environment students from a Higher Education Institution in the UK. The study adopts a multi-method qualitative design using focus groups with various student cohorts, including Building Surveying, Real Estate Management and Quantity Surveying, followed by face-to-face interviews with industry representatives. This study highlights a discrepancy between student’s research preparedness and their understanding of its importance and perceived impact. It establishes areas for improvement within the curriculum to enhance students’ research preparedness throughout their undergraduate career. There are numerous benefits for students from being involved in research, such as developing a critical mind-set through the appraisal, collection, analysis and interpretation of complex information. However, students often do not see the tangible benefit of developing research skills to help them succeed and differentiate once they make their transition from higher education to employment. This study provides intriguing findings for anyone involved in property and construction curriculum across the globe, and will also appeal to any institution where students are undertaking research activities/projects

EC58-704 Efficient Irrigation

Extension Circular 58-704: This is about how to efficiently irrigate your crops

A model for the complex assessment of sustainable housing affordability

This study investigates the concept and assessment of housing affordability. Housing affordability is a multi-dimensional issue, yet it is typically assessed quite simply in terms of the financial burden of housing costs. The study frames the housing affordability problem as encompassing more than financial costs of housing and household ability to meet these costs, and extends to larger issues of social wellbeing and community sustainability. This thesis provides an original contribution to new knowledge by developing and applying a complex model for the assessment of sustainable housing affordability. The model is holistic and is capable of considering a broad spectrum of criteria determining housing affordability and the wellbeing of households, including economic, environmental and social aspects. Multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) techniques are innovatively applied for the analysis of sustainable housing affordability. The chosen methodology of MCDM allows a multidimensional analysis of both quantitative and qualitative criteria Influencing the affordability of housing and household wellbeing. The thesis presents the results of a case study assessment of 10 areas in Liverpool, UK as a practical example of the sustainable housing affordability assessment model. This allows the given areas to be ranked in respect of their sustainable housing affordability. The model can assist stakeholders, such as central governments, local authorities, developers and consumers, on both a national and international scale, in making comprehensive and informed decisions concerning affordability. The model provides a complex analysis of the criteria that influence the affordability of housing, beyond the financial implications experienced by households and better reflecting household wellbeing and sustain ability concerns. The tool could be utilised as a potential planning indicator for shaping local housing markets. The rankings derived from the model may be used as a locational decision aid and to support new housing development that will meet the needs of low and moderate income residents in ways that go beyond traditional notions of financial burden

Applying the Analytical Risk Assessment Method for an Urban Regeneration Project

Risks cause crucial adversities to the progression and profits of urban regeneration projects. Thispaper aims to review practitioners’ decision-making procedures in assessing the potential risks in urbanregeneration projects. We introduce a multi-criteria decision making model, based on Analytic NetworkProcess (ANP) theory. This paper commences with an introduction to the risks involved in urban regenerationprojects, followed by an application of ANP as a risk assessment tool. To assess risks in the these projectseffectively, assessment criteria are defined based on the Social, Technological, Economic, Environment andPolitical (STEEP) concerns of practitioners, which are directly involved in the urban regeneration projects.A residential and commercial mixed-use project in Liverpool City Centre has been selected as a case studyto demonstrate the effectiveness of ANP. The outcome reveals that ANP is an effective tool to supportdecision-makers to assess the potential risks in urban regeneration projects. Although this ANP model canbe applied in other types of project, the risk assessment criteria should be modified to suit the contextof any particular case

The Big Society and the Conjunction of Crises: Justifying Welfare Reform and Undermining Social Housing

The idea of the “Big Society” can be seen as culmination of a long-standing debate about the regulation of welfare. Situating the concept within governance theory, the article considers how the UK coalition government has justified a radical restructuring of welfare provision, and considers its implications for housing provision. Although drawing on earlier modernization processes, the article contends that the genesis for welfare reform was based on an analysis that the government was forced to respond to a unique conjunction of crises: in morality, the state, ideology and economics. The government has therefore embarked upon a programme, which has served to undermine the legitimacy of the social housing sector (most notably in England), with detrimental consequences for residents and raising significant dilemmas for those working in the housing sector