Journal of Housing and the Built Environment最新文献

This study investigates the impact of telecommunication infrastructure on residential property prices in Poland. This study contributes to the discussion of economic externalities related to new public infrastructure within the urban landscape. We use hedonic regression, matching techniques, and a difference-in-differences estimator to assess the impact of base transceiver stations on apartment prices in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, which covered market data on the sales of residential premises located in Miasteczko Wilanów estate in Warsaw from 2016 to 2021. In the analysed period, 1,825 residential sales were recorded and used for econometric modelling. The results do not confirm the influence of the vicinity of the wireless communication technology infrastructure on residential real estate prices in the studied local market. In particular, we did not observe a detrimental effect of cell phone towers on housing prices. Additionally, we investigate whether residential sale prices in proximity to BTS changed significantly after the introduction of the 5G standard. This particular issue has not been addressed in the economic literature. We found that the sale prices of apartments located in Warsaw were not statistically affected by the introduction of a fifth-generation technology standard for broadband cellular networks. Our research contributes to a better understanding of stigmatisation effects related to telecommunication infrastructure, and in particular, the links between the presence of cell phone towers and residential property values in the neighbourhood. The results may be of interest to all potential agents involved in neighbourhood conflicts arising from investments in cell phone towers and the development of new communication infrastructure in urban landscapes.

Despite featuring very different housing systems, both in Vienna and Milan a growing number of people struggle to access affordable and decent housing. Even though social housing policies are in place in both contexts, for many the unregulated and often unaffordable private housing market is the only option. Building upon Antonio Tosi’s work, we centre our analysis on the poor and compare how two very different local housing systems create the conditions for their inclusion or exclusion. Through a comparative analysis of the Viennese and Milanese local housing regimes and adopting a mixed methodology, we discuss how both generate conditions of exclusion and who the ones excluded are, which local policies address the poor and how appropriate these are for mitigating housing exclusion. Finally, we indicate some directions for policies aimed at tackling the intersections of poverty and housing exclusion, advocating for a maximization of the ‘sociality’ of housing policies, involving a shift in prioritisation from the middle classes to the most vulnerable groups and the loosening of certain formal access requirements to housing or welfare services that constitute barriers to these groups, where possible.

Accessible housing plays a crucial role in supporting aging in place, yet Japan lacks adequate tools for assessing housing accessibility among older adults. This study describes the process of translating and adapting the environmental component checklist of the Swedish Housing Enabler instrument for valid use in Japan. During translation to the Japanese language, technical terms and specifications were adjusted to match Japanese standards and guidelines. To validate the content of the instrument’s checklist for the environmental component, an expert panel including occupational therapists, architects, and care managers was used. Relevance in a Japanese housing context was rated for all items on a scale from 1 to 4 (higher = more relevant), and a content validity index (0–1) was calculated for each item. After consensus discussions, the expert panel suggested revisions, including removal and addition of items, to better capture the characteristics of Japanese housing and building design. A final checklist of 261 items for the Japanese Housing Enabler was suggested. While 15 items were removed due to their lack of relevance to Japanese housing, 115 items were added. More than 90% of the items had a content validity index that exceeded the recommended threshold for relevance (≥ 0.78). Although the study results support the cultural relevance and content validity of this new instrument for assessing housing accessibility in Japan, the large number of items may compromise its feasibility. Aspects such as feasibility, criterion-related validity, and interrater reliability require investigation.

Land use and the housing market are important driving forces of economic growth in China. These two factors are also closely associated with people’s daily lives. The land fiscal policy in China and the pursuit of economic growth of local governments have resulted in irrational land use structures in most Chinese cities since the reform of the tax-sharing system in 1994. The high proportion of industrial land supply and low proportion of residential land supply has led to an increase in housing price and an unneglectable decrease in air quality, influencing people’s living quality to some extent. Thus, adjusting the land use structure is necessary to achieve sustainable growth. The data of 30 cities in China from 2009 to 2017 and the fixed effects model are used in this paper to investigate the in-depth effect of land use structure on housing prices and air quality. Special importance has been attached to the influence of air pollution in the research framework, which has been overlooked by existing studies. The results indicate that air pollution negatively affects housing price and shows an unneglectable mediating effect in the relationship between land use structure and housing price. The empirical results and implications of this study can help governments optimize land use structure to achieve a balance between economic growth and people’s living quality.

Old residential neighborhood regeneration is a crucial strategy for sustainable urban development. Based on the government's massive investment in financial, human resources, and time, old residential neighborhood regeneration is being conducted comprehensively in China. However, how efficient regeneration is remains unclear, as does whether the residents satisfied with the results. Existing studies do not address these issues. Residents' satisfaction is the ultimate pursuit of livelihood projects such as regenerating old residential neighborhoods. Therefore, this study uses the superefficiency BCC-DEA method to construct an evaluation model for regeneration efficiency and then constructs an evaluation index system based on residents' satisfaction output through the grounded theory. Taking the old residential neighborhoods in Xi'an as a case study, we found that the regeneration efficiency level is relatively good. However, the overall scale efficiency is decreasing, and significant room for improvement and optimization in regeneration efficiency remains. There is generally considerable redundancy in funding, staffing, and time investment in current regeneration projects, as well as insufficient output of residents' satisfaction with the regeneration of neighborhood environments, sustainable management mechanisms, and integrated community services. In subsequent regeneration projects, the government should appropriately downsize capital and staffing inputs in accordance with the characteristics and demands of the neighborhood, strengthen project management for more efficient implementation, adopt more flexible regeneration strategies to meet residents' diverse needs, pay more attention to sustainable development after regeneration, and optimize the regeneration efficiency of these neighborhoods by increasing the resource utilization rate and enhancing residents' satisfaction.

There is no consensus on what makes for a livable urban environment. This requires empirical assessment of the relationship between urban characteristics and the happiness of residents. We took stock of the available research findings, using the World Database of Happiness; 445 findings are considered, from 20 nations over the years 1975–2022. We considered 3 aspects of the urban environment, 1) objectively assessed characteristics, 2) subjective perception of urban characteristics and 3) satisfaction with urban characteristics. Urbanites tend to be happier in places characterized by the following objectively assessed features: a) access to local green/nature, b) access to cultural facilities and leisure amenities, c) access to healthcare, d) access to public goods such as access to sewage and water supply and e) access to public spaces. On the other hand, residents tend to be less happy the closer they live to f) shops, g) public transportation hubs and h) the city center. Subjectively perceived environmental characteristics that go with greater happiness are: i) amenities, j) public goods in vicinity k) playground and sport facilities, while l) perceived air pollution is negatively linked to happiness. Residents were found to be happier the more satisfied they are with m) connectivity and local transport, n) local recreation o) water quality and the, p) environment as-a-whole. Correlations with objectively assessed characteristics. with the urban environment are smaller than with subjective perceptions of the same and differ in direction for living close to q) shops and r) public transportation hubs. While objective closeness to these amenities relates negatively to happiness, subjectively perceived availability and satisfaction with these amenities relates positively to happiness. Most of the available findings are of a cross-sectional nature and do not inform us about cause and effect. This strand of research is still in its infancy. By lack of a sound evidence base, claims about livability of urban settings will remain a matter of subjective hunches and sales-talk.

The UK has made efforts to rebuild its cities’ image through harbourside regeneration projects, aiming to enhance citizens’ sense of local identity in recent decades. This endeavour requires systematic research on effective urban design strategies, especially for renewal projects, to restore a sense of place (SoP). Hence, this study proposes a conceptual framework for SoP with measurable urban design elements combining both scholars’ and place users’ perceptions. To begin the research process, we summarised ten design elements for SoP and seven levels of SoP based on a literature review. Then, we conducted an on-site questionnaire survey to collect place users’ perceptions on SoP. Subsequently, we developed a SoP conceptual framework by combining insights from prior studies and on-site users’ perceptions. To test the conceptual framework and extract feasible urban design strategies for forming a strong SoP, we investigated three representative harbourside regeneration projects in the UK with high levels of SoP. The core design strategies employed in these projects are summarised in this paper along the following three dimensions: (a) mixed land use of residence, work, and tourism complemented by various supporting public facilities; (b) rich spatial relationships based on high degrees of accessibility, permeability, and rational urban tissue and development density; and (c) a distinctive place character formed by public space, architecture, and landscape design. These strategies would complement each other to develop a SoP design guideline based on a unique image, diverse activities, and reasonable forms. This study’s findings can be instrumental in the empirical assessment, design, planning, and policymaking for promoting SoP in regeneration projects.

This study investigates the spatial and temporal dynamics of housing prices in Serbia, addressing the critical need to understand the drivers of real estate prices and their implications for economic and social welfare. Employing a panel data analysis approach on a unique dataset covering 24 distinct urban areas in Serbia from 2011 to 2021, we examine the relevance of diverse economic, demographic, and infrastructural indicators, providing novel insights within a developing country context. Our findings reveal that the housing market stock-flow model effectively predicts housing price appreciation trends, explaining over 60 percent of variation in property prices. Notably, disparities in labour income, captured by average wages and registered employment rates, emerge as significant determinants of real estate prices, underlining socio-economic disparities within Serbian cities. Housing prices exhibit a positive response to the population/housing stock ratio, suggesting higher prices in cities experiencing faster population growth relative to housing supply. Intensified construction is associated with elevated housing prices. Additionally, we find positive association between the inflation variable and housing prices, underlining real estate’s potential as an inflation hedge. Public service provision and infrastructural amenities also emerge as contributors to higher housing prices in urban areas, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive urban planning strategies. Our study contributes to the literature by providing specific quantitative evidence, advancing the understanding of urban housing market dynamics in developing countries. By offering nuanced insights into determinants of housing prices, our research informs policymakers and urban planners seeking to foster equitable and sustainable urban development strategies.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic had catastrophic impacts on many hospitality industries including the peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation industry. The fast spread of the COVID-19 outbreak in countries throughout the world left very limited time for crisis management planning, and exposed the vulnerability of the P2P accommodation sector. Stakeholders in the P2P accommodation industry had to take ad hoc actions and implement crisis management strategies to mitigate the impacts. This overview paper explores the responses and crisis management strategies that key stakeholders in the P2P accommodation industry adopted during the COVID-19 crisis. Experience obtained from the adjustment and adaptation of P2P accommodation operation practices were summarised. This paper provides lessons learnt and ways to move forward for the P2P accommodation industry in coping with disruptive events like the COVID-19 crisis. Future research directions are also highlighted.

Although well-designed urban streets are beneficial for sustainability and livability, few studies have considered their role in housing price estimates. To fill this gap, this study conducted in Nanjing, China, aims to examine the contribution of streetscape features to housing prices. Data were collected for 2040 residential blocks within the four municipal districts in July 2021. A semantic segmentation approach was used to identify the percentage of elements in the images from Baidu Street View. Two types of streetscape related variables (Enclosure and Greenery) were calculated and added to a hedonic pricing model based on Geographically Weighted Regression. The results show that the streetscape factors all have positive effects on house prices, and the contribution to house prices from large to small is grass, plants, horizontal buildings, vertical buildings and trees. By comparing the parameters of the models, it can be concluded that the inclusion of streetscape features and consideration of spatial heterogeneity can significantly improve the accuracy of housing price estimation. The findings of the current study contribute to decision-making in housing planning and urban design and to judgments about pricing reasonableness.