HOUSING (THEORY) : LECTURE 1 – 23/09/2020

Residential development, which includes residential subdivision, tract development,

large-scale housing, and rehabilitation, is a vital and intricate part of our society and
economy. The conception and execution of any one kind of residential project is a long and
complex process. This study deals with one aspect of this process – that of the architectural
planning and design of the physical space.
Housing standards and criteria are by no means static or etched in stone. They are in
a constant state of flux and, over the years, gradually evolve to reflect the changing
economic conditions, social values and technological innovations. Therefore, one would do
well to note that this study will not attempt to provide definitive formulae for a highly complex
process that involves residential development. Each situation, even though it may appear
similar, must be scrutinised and analysed on its own merits.
The dwelling unit, in the form of either the single-family house or the apartment, is
considered the basic building block of the community. Over the years, significant changes to
the dwelling unit have occurred – from within, by technological developments; and from
without, by social and economic changes.
Inside the dwelling unit, we have witnessed the expansion of functions in both the
kitchen and the bathroom areas. The advent of the computer/cable/information highway tidal
wave is rapidly changing the entertainment and recreation activities of the home. As a result,
the traditional living/drawing/sitting room and recreation room are in transition. New multi-
media rooms are being created. Another significant development has been the explosion in
the use of the home as the workplace. This has resulted in the home office and its related
communications centre. Adequate mobility and accessibility for the physically- impaired to all
parts of the home through the creation of a barrier-free environment, at both the horizontal
and vertical planes, has been a third strong influence in the design of housing.
Outside the dwelling unit, several evolving trends are influencing the design of
apartment buildings and the organization of the neighbourhood. The need for greater
security owing to the escalating crime rate has become a major design concern. The
harming of the environment by destruction of the natural habitat, air and water pollution, and
overdevelopment is another major design concern. Conservation measures are now, and will
continue to be, strong influences in site selection and housing planning.

PLANNING UNITS – TYPES AND FUNCTIONS

In planning a system of inter-related areas and facilities, each type of geographic
area – neighbourhood, community, school district, central commercial district, zone, city,
district, state, nation – must be considered.
Neighbourhood : A neighbourhood is a residential area with homogeneous
characteristics and of a size comparable to that usually served by an elementary school. A
typically ideal neighbourhood for planning purposes would cover an area of 0.75 to 1.00
square mile, inhabited by about 6000 to 8000 people. Neighbourhoods occur in various
shapes and sizes. Population densities vary from a few thousand to many thousands per
square mile. Hence, each neighbourhood must be studied carefully. Because most residents
live within a short distance of the elementary school and its playground, residents of a
neighbourhood tend to walk to the school to drop or pick up their children from there.
Community : A community refers to a section of a city, primarily a residential area. It
usually represents the service area of a high school, contains a large business centre, and
commonly constitutes a section of the city measuring 2 to 3 miles across. It can be thought
of as a “community of neighbourhoods” because it is usually composed of 3 to 5 neighbour-
hoods. Consequently, the population varies – on an average, it is 3 to 5 times that of a
neighbourhood, i.e., between 20,000 and 40,000 people. It may have a less pronounced
homogeneity than in a neighbourhood, but ought not to be so dissimilar as to make unified
planning impossible. If the dissimilarities are too pronounced, the community need to be
subdivided for planning purposes.
 HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
In order to be acceptable, a housing development must meet certain fundamental
requisites with respect to location and planning. First, the project should be locatedin or near
a city or town where there is a definite prospect of continuing demand for housing at the
proposed rental rates; it should be located in a neighbourhood where the possibilities of
future deterioration are at the minimum; and the site itself should be suitable for the
development of a project of the type and magnitude contemplated. Second, the plans of the
entire development should embody the qualities of design and construction in terms of open
space, lawns and planting, light and air, convenience and privacy of the dwelling units, and
other amenities of family living, to the end that appeal may be enhanced and the factors of
obsolescence may be minimized.
Substantial, well-built structures, located in good residential neighbourhoods, and
with adequate space and equipment must be provided. A garden environment with play
space for children is essential. There must be adequate provision for car parking – in
garages in-built in the dwelling-unit plans and/or in open parking spaces. Due attention must
be given to the problem of servicing the dwelling units and to removal of wastes.

ACCESSIBILITY OF EMPLOYMENT FACILITIES

The selection of the community in which to build is the first problem confronting the
sponsor of a housing project. To be acceptable, a housing project must be located in or near
a city or town where there are adequate sources of employment, preferably in diversified
occupations rather than in one or two principal industries. Above all, it must be located in an
economically stable community where there is evidence of a definite and continuing demand
for housing at rentals sufficient to cover the requirements of the project as a sound business
enterprise.
Within a given community, a location meriting approval should be readily accessible
to places of employment and reachable by satisfactory transportation facilities. It should be
conveniently situated with respect to schools, places of worship, shopping centres and
recreational facilities. The site for residential development must also be free from the
hazards of floods, smoke, noxious odours, nuisance industries, and the like. Finally, it must
be located in a neighbourhood where zoning or other types of protective regulation will
permit the sort of development contemplated; and it must conform with city and regional
planning where such planning is in force.

TYPES OF NEIGHBOURHOOD
What makes a neighbourhood? In addition to individual homes, a neighbourhood
contains schools, places of worship, commercial precinct, parks, etc. Some things are the
result of joint effort – electrical power supply, water supply, storm water drainage system,
sewage disposal system, telephony. Even the signages – indicating the names and/or
number of the streets, and the address of houses in a neighbourhood – are a joint effort.
Letter carriers, milk-delivery people, newspaper distributors, police officers and home-
delivery people are some of those who work in the neighbourhood but who do not live there.
What are the different types of neighbourhoods and what are their special needs?
Residential neighbourhoods may be broadly classified into five types.
Old Neighbourbood : At one end of the scale, there is the older neighbourhood of fine
old mansions that have survived several generations. Here, the homes are large and well-
constructed, and the lots expansive and well-laid out; and the land and building values have
remained consistently high. However, such neighbourhoods have certain negative points.
Among the dangers such neighbourhoods are likely to face are (1) overcrowding of struc-
tures (doubling up of families, conversion of home to apartments); (2) under-maintenance of
structures; (3) aging of public schools and utilities; and (4) commercialization of properties
(partial conversion to business use).
What can help this type of older residential neighbourhood to degenerate to the
above-mentioned conditions? Zoning may help – by preventing the incursion of new,
adverse land uses, such as manufacturing, warehousing and commercial uses. Such uses
are likely to appear in older residential neighbourhoods located next to commercial areas.
First, it is necessary to prevent this kind of land-use invasion by establishing a clearly
defined boundary around the neighbourhood and by permitting 0nly residentially-compatible
uses. Zoning may help by providing a favourable climate for continued residential occupancy
of the area. This may be done by recognizing that the older type of homes found in the area
may no longer be practical for modern accommodations, even if it is still structurally sound.
What can be done if it is found, from real estate market analysis, that an older area is
declining because of its inability to compete with the modern suburban home? It would do
well to recognize the fact that such older residential areas are open to a greater threat from
the introduction of commercial uses than they are from the introduction of different
residential building types. It is sometimes better in such communities to permit scattered
apartment clusters when individual older residences have deteriorated and have outlived
their economic life.
Moderately-Old Neighbourhood : A second general type of residential neighbourhood
is the moderately old single-family residential area. Such areas are often characterized by
spacious lots, two-level single-family detached dwellings, and detached garages. Often this
type of neighbourhood was originally a tract of development created by single realtor. It may
have many advantages such as complete public facilities, a relatively modern school, and
adequate park and playground property. It may also be farther from the core of the
community; thus, it stands less chance of becoming mixed with industrial and commercial
uses.
Transitional Neighbourhood : A third type of residential neighbourhood is one that is
in transition from residential to commercial uses. It is usually an older area, but new areas
are also affected. It is a neighbourhood that already has mixed land uses (some business or
industrial, as well as residential uses), and mixed residential building types (duplexes and
apartments, as well as single-family homes. Such neighbourhoods are found both close to
the downtown core and on the fringe of the community. In the very old area close to
downtown where there has been no zoning protection, older residential homes may have
been demolished for business and industrial uses in a haphazard pattern so that today,
those homes are next door to businesses. In the newer, outlying areas, vacant land may
have been developed at different times for different land uses, with modern residential tract
developments going up next to older commercial and industrial establishments. The
buildings of the transitional neighbourhood are usually old and under-maintained. In some
places, modern developments are pushing out the older ones. In any case, the transitional
neighbourhood is changing, and the problem is to appropriately direct the change.
Emerging Neighbourhood : The fourth kind of residential neighbourhood is the new
residential neighbourhood located in the outlying fringe areas – the emerging neighbour-
hood. This neighbourhood may be partially developed at this point. Its problems often are
merely ones of providing full public facilities such as streets, curbs, gutters, storm water
drainage, schools, are recreation areas. An emerging neighbourhood with vacant land for
development is often the place for a new type of urban development that permits the
intermingling of different building types.
Remnant Neighbourhood : The fifth general type of neighbourhood is the residential
‘remnant’ neighbourhood. Remnant neighbourhoods are the residential ‘pockets’ of two or
three blocks that are found scattered throughout a community. Often these are the remaining
segments of once-flourishing communities. Within almost all communities there is a section
that is a small slum remnant of a once-thriving community. A community may be completely
surrounded by industrial uses. Some blocks may have two or three kinds of land uses. This
kind of residential pocket may be slated for ultimate redevelopment by either private or
public uses over a long period of time.
Isolated Neighbourhood : What might be called a sixth neighbourhood but is not
really a neighbourhood, refers to the isolated standalone housing units found scattered
throughout a community. These residential fragments are generally not zoned for residential
use; they are a part of the industrial or commercial area.