Housing Needs And Policy Approaches

Drawing upon research from six continents, Housing Needs and Policy Approaches analyzes the social problems involved with providing housing in the industrialized nations and in the Third World. The book focuses on four areas of concern: current trends in housing in specific Western countries, the role of Western governments in creating this housing, housing provisions in less developed nations, and the relationship of societal structure and housing, particularly with respect to the decentralization of population occurring in many regions.

The present volume in the series focuses on homes, residences, and dwellings. Although many fields have had a long-standing interest in different aspects of home environments, the topic has recently come to the forefront in the interdisciplinary environment and behavior field. Researchers and theorists from many disciplines have begun to meet regularly, share ideas and perspectives, and move the investigation of psychological, social, and behavioral aspects of home environments to the central arena of environment and behavior studies. This volume representative-though not comprehensive attempts to provide a sampling of contemporary perspectives on the study of home environments. As in previous volumes, the authors are drawn from a variety of disciplines, including environmental design fields of architecture and planning, and from the social science fields of psychology, sociology, anthropology, and history. This diversity of authors and perspectives makes salient the principle that the study of homes in relation to behav ior requires the contributions of many disciplines. Moreover, the chap ters in this volume reflect an array of research and theoretical view points, different scales of home environments (e.g., objects and areas, the home as a whole, the home as embedded in neighborhood and communities, etc.), design and policy issues, and, necessarily, a com parative and cross-cultural perspective. Home environments are at the core of human life in most cultures, and it is hoped that the contributions to this volume display the excite ment, potential, and importance of research and theory on homes.

This book is an extended essay on the myriad relationships between housing policy and housing market performance. The main thesis is that significant differences in important housing outcomes are attributable, at least in part, to differences in the housing policy regimes of cities and countries.

By virtue of a quiet revolution over nearly a hundred years, Britain has evolved into a home-owning society. The impact of this on British society has been barely understood, but it has helped to shape the Blair 'workfare' state and to draw Britain firmly towards the English-speaking world while distancing the country from other European nations. Taking a policy-analysis approach and drawing from the burgeoning comparative literature, this textbook explores what has happened to British housing since 1900. Providing more than an account of British housing, the book reinterprets the housing system in a way that is sensitive to the historical and cultural contexts of British policy and society. Examining the nature of 'housing' and how it helps to shape society, Lowe sets British housing in its global context. Written in an accessible style, Housing Policy Analysis leads the reader through the basic concepts to more challenging themes. It will be important reading for students of housing studies, social policy, public policy and applied social studies.

This book of specially commissioned essays by distinguished housing scholars addresses the big issues in contemporary debates about housing and housing policy in the UK. Setting out a distinctive and coherent analysis, it steers a course between those accounts that rely on economic theory and analysis and those that emphasize policy. It is informed by the idea that the 1970s was a pivotal decade in the second half of the twentieth century, and that since that time there has been a profound transformation in the housing system and housing policy in the UK. The contributors describe, analyze and explain aspects of that transformation, as a basis for understanding the present and thinking about the future. The analysis of housing is set within an understanding of the wider changes affecting the economy and the welfare state since the crises of the mid 1970s.

This book offers a European perspective on urban planning and spatial design by outlining housing policies in Southern Europe and their evolution. Through a unique case study on the city of Turin it explores social innovation and the relationship between the urban regeneration process and housing practices. The case study is a useful example in the debate about changing welfare arrangements in Europe and the emerging rhetoric of social innovation in housing. The book encourages debate about the tools needed to address housing needs, exploring current practices. Chapters look at the spatial dimension of housing, the financial mechanisms put in place, the actors involved in the field (public authorities, ethical investors, tertiary sector, inhabitants and locals.) The case study of the metropolitan city of Turin demonstrates complex housing needs and the innovative character of public and private solutions. As this book combines theory and practice, it appeals to both academics and practitioners. It is especially be of interest to spatial planners, geographers and social scientists interested in housing policies, and those interested in the Italian context of the case study.

Presenting a range of multi-hazard adaptation issues, this book illustrates that non-structural as well as structural adaptations need to be considered in order to reduce the threat, and impact, of disasters in the built environment.