EKISTIKS

Ekistics is a term used to describe the study of the human settlements, including their
planning, design, and management. The development theory of ekistics is based on the idea
that the physical, social, and economic aspects of the human settlements are interconnected
and must be considered as a whole in order to create sustainable and livable communities
(EKISTICS DEVELOPMENT THEORY, 2024).

Term coined by C.A. Doxiadis from the Greek words oikos, and oiko, "settling down,"
to mean the science of human settlements. It conceives of the human settlement as a living
organism having its own laws and, through the study of the evolution of human settlements
from their most primitive phase to megalopolis and Ecumenopolis, develops the
interdisciplinary approach needed to solve its problems (Doxiadis, n.d.)

Doxiadis

Constantinos Apostolou Doxiadis, often cited as C. A. Doxiadis, was a Greek architect

and town planner. He was known as the lead architect of Islamabad, the new capital of Pakistan,
and later as the father of ekistics (Constantinos Doxiadis | Architectuul, n.d.). Doxiadis aimed
to create a multidisciplinary science that would encompass all aspects of human settlement,
taking into consideration social, economic, cultural, and environmental factors.

Doxiadis' work, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s, involved the development of
theories and methodologies for understanding and planning human settlements. He proposed a
holistic approach that considered the relationships between people and their environment.

CLASSIFICATION OF EKISTICS

Ekistics Unit

The Ekastics Unit is the rational classification of human settlement by population-scale.

This classification takes into account the different scales of settlements. The logarithmic
division of scale is based upon the population occupying a distinct settlement or homogeneous
parts of the settlement. There are 15 Ekistic units:

Unit Number Ekistics Unit Population

1 Anthropos 1
2 Room 2
3 Dwelling 4
4 Dwelling Group 40
5 Small Neighborhood 250
6 Neighborhood 1,500
7 Small Town 9,000
8 Town 50,000
9 Large City 300,000
10 Metropolis 3,000,000
11 Conurbation 14,000,000
12 Megalopolis 100,000,000
13 Small Eperoplis 700,000,000
14 Eperopolis 5,000,000,000
15 Ecumenopolis 30,000,000,000
 Doxiadis coined the name Ecumenopolis for a global city of the future. His forecast of
this global city was based on the world's population levelling out at 30 billion people by 2100.
Doxiadis envisaged Ecumenopolis as being a utopian global city with a consumer level of life
and energy consumption per capita much greater than it is now (Johnstone, 2021).

Ekistics Elements

Elements of ekistics are divided into five parts, namely nature (human), human (antrophos),
society (society), reflection (shells) and networks (networks) Ekistics theory is a theory to
explain settlement (human settlement) developed by doxiadis (Farizkha et al., 2019).

Five Elements of Ekistics. Retrieved from Research Gate

First element is Nature, it provides a foundation for the development of settlements. It is the
framework within which settlement functions and flourishes. It explains the aspects related to
geological and topographical resources, soil and water resources, plant and animal life, and the
climate.

Second element is Human, initially this element was termed as Anthropos. It is the major
demand seeker among other elements. Directed by moral values, and influences the
environment in an attempt to fulfil his biological and emotional needs and his senses.

Third element is Society, it is formed by the second element human. It consists of indicators
such as population composition and density, social stratification, cultural patterns, education,
health and welfare, economic development, law, and administration.

Fourth element is Shells, it is structures created by human. The purpose is to provide housing,
community services, shopping, recreation, civic and business needs, industry, and
transportation.
Fifth element is Networks, it is mainly the natural and man-made links. Facilitating the
functioning of the settlements and developments. It comprises of water and power supply
systems, sewage and drainage, and communication and transportation systems (Mandal & Sen,
2018).

The nature of settlements is holistic, meaning that all aspects are interconnected and must be
considered together in order to create livable, sustainable communities. The goal of ekistics is
to create settlements that are efficient, livable, and sustainable. This involves balancing the
needs of individual and communities with the preservation of natural resources and the
environment (EKISTICS DEVELOPMENT THEORY, 2024).

HOUSING AND HUMAN SETTLEMENT

A human settlement is a place inhabited by people. It refers to the entirety of the

human community, including all of its organizational, social, material, spiritual, and cultural
components (Islam, 2021). According to Tolba and El-Kholy (1992), In order to create such a
community for economic gain, the surrounding natural area must be changed into an artificial
one that is home to a range of buildings and establishments intended to accommodate the
community's needs for employment, leisure, and other facets of daily life. It therefore boasts
a natural environment, a social infrastructure of political, educational, and cultural services,
and a physical infrastructure of housing, transportation, water, waste disposal, and energy
sources. The village is the most prevalent type of human settlement on the planet.

History

In search of sustenance, the early people traveled from place to place. Some eventually
stopped traveling and started to settle in one area. On the surrounding area, they constructed
dwellings and raised their own food. Although they occasionally had to adjust to specific
features of their surroundings, tiny settlements quickly developed into villages, towns, and
cities. People discovered that many locations are suitable for habitation (Human Settlement,
n.d.).

• Rivers
By rivers, people initially established permanent villages. Mesopotamia was situated in
Iraq between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, Mohenjo-daro was close to the Indus
River (in what is now Pakistan), and ancient Egypt was situated on the Nile. Rivers are
ideal for human habitation for several reasons. One significant supply of fresh water is
found in rivers. For millennia, they have been utilized for irrigation. Hasankeyf, on the
banks of the Tigris River in southeastern Turkey, is one of the oldest
continuously inhabited settlements on earth (Islam, 2021).

• Harbors
A natural harbor's placid waters present another alluring location for habitation. It is
possible to navigate all types of watercraft into a port, where they will be protected
from powerful currents and large waves. Because they are convenient locations to load
and unload boats with commodities and people, harbors are beneficial for trade. All
across the world, harbors are located on the edges of lakes and oceans
 • Spread of Settlements
From the early settlements, humans spread out across the land. As they migrated, they
were sometimes stopped by natural barriers. The barriers included such features as
deserts and mountains. Some people found passes through the mountains that allowed
them to move forward. Others learned how to adapt to different kinds of land.

Housing is the man man-made habitation for human beings that are constructed in taste
and style as desired by the owner (What Is Housing | IGI Global, n.d.). According to Law
Insider (n.d), Housing means residential accommodation and facilities, common areas and
services used directly with the residential accommodation. Housing does not include
commercial or institutional premises, social or recreational services, and services or facilities
related to mental or physical health care, education, corrections, food services, social support
or public recreation.

Housing: Global Scale Down to Local Scale

According to World Bank estimates, the lack of land, money, labor, and building
supplies would cause the housing crisis to impact 1.6 billion people globally by 2025. UN-
Habitat projects that in order to house the 3 billion people who require quality housing, 96,000
new affordable homes must be constructed every day by 2030. There are 1.5 million fewer
homes in the US now than there were thirty years ago, and the 2008 financial crisis has resulted
in a lack of labor, materials, finance, and land. The housing crisis has been made worse by
COVID-19, and low interest rates in many nations have made matters worse. The fastest
increase in home prices in 40 years is being caused by supply not keeping up with demand
(What Has Caused the Global Housing Crisis - and How Can We Fix It?, 2022).

In the first three months of this year, rent rates increased by 14.5% in Europe, where
rent rates have also increased. There are 100 million homeless individuals in the world, making
homelessness a serious problem. UN-Habitat offers 43 countries recommendations on how to
enhance their housing policy, including new financial sources and support for urban planning.
While the US wants to close the housing supply shortfall in five years, Scotland intends to
increase the number of homes by 2040 through a variety of funding sources. New construction
technique that uses prefabricated panels made from waste material is projected to lower
construction costs in India.

HOUSING DOT 7279 (R.A NO. 7279)

The Metropolitan Development and Housing Act of 1992 is a comprehensive and

continuous project in the Philippines that attempts to enhance the living conditions of the poor
and homeless in urban areas and resettlement sites. The program's goals are to provide these
residents with access to employment opportunities, affordable, high-quality housing, and
necessary services. It also emphasizes the creation of urban areas that are conducive to business
and industry, the fair use of residential land, the efficient use of land and other resources in
cities, the reduction of urban dysfunctions, and the availability of homes and land for these
residents.

A few terms defined by the Act are: professionally squatted, resettlement areas, security
of tenure, small property owners, socialized housing, professionally priced, priority
development areas, blighted lands, consultation, joint ventures, land assembly or consolidation,
land banking, land swapping, land use plan, on-site development, professional squatters, and
secured tenure.

The fairest price for land and houses, considering participants' needs, financial
situation, and appropriate financing arrangements, is referred to as the "affordable cost" in this
context. The locations designated by pertinent presidential directives and existing legislation
are considered priority development areas. The dilapidated, unsanitary, and rotting structures
on blighted lands reduce the land's value and obstruct normal development and use.

All lands in urban and urbanizable areas—priority development, zonal improvement

sites, slum improvement, and socialized housing areas—are covered under the Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Law. Republic Act No. 6657-designated areas, areas used for government
offices, parks, reserves for flora and fauna, forests, watersheds, and places used for charitable,
religious, educational, cultural, historical, hospital, health center, cemeteries, or memorial
parks are among the exemptions. When the use or purpose of the land ends, these exemptions
don't apply (Rizzlemay, 2021).

NATIONAL URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING FRAMEWORK

The National Urban Development and Housing Framework (NUDHF) is the

development framework for urban and urbanizable areas aimed at achieving the objectives of
the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992. It contains a set of policy statements,
strategies, and implementation measures intended to guide the public and private sector efforts
towards sustainable urban development and housing (National Urban Development and
Housing Framework (NUDHF), n.d.).

The NUDHF offers a comprehensive framework for housing and urban development that
includes key development sectors and geographical components. It is composed of a vision,
policy declarations, and strategies. Its goal is to direct the government, business community,
and other relevant parties in the Philippines toward enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency
of the nation's urban systems (National Urban Development and Housing Framework | UN-
HabitAt, n.d.).

SDG 11

One of the 17 SDGs refer directly to the sustainable development of cities and human
settlements. Specifically, SDG 11 aims to “make the cities and human settlements
inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.” Within this goal are targets that constitute the
built environment agenda, and ensures that issues are addressed through the spatial lens
(National Urban Development and Housing Framework | UN-HabitAt, n.d.).

Targeting transformation, SDG 11 the step-by-step development needed to superior results in

other objectives. It additionally enables cities to act as implementation hubs, in addition to
municipal governments as the level nearest to individuals. Additionally, with more than
currently, half of the world's population is thought to residents of cities, cities shall decide the
achievement of the main objectives of poverty elimination, equality, action on climate change,
and guaranteeing wholesome lives. Out of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals,
15 is limited to local implementation, an essential factor in the Philippines, Local government
units are positioned at the at the vanguard of development initiatives.
According to UN Habitat (n.d), SDG 11 has specific targets, which focus on various themes
and elements of sustainable cities and communities. These also help to guide the country’s
urban development actions at the national and local level:

Safe and Affordable Housing

By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services,
and upgrade slums

Affordable and Sustainable Transport Systems

By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for
all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to
the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and
older persons.

Inclusive and Sustainable Organization

By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory,
integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries.

Protect the World’s Cultural And Natural Heritage

Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world's cultural and natural heritage

Reduce the Adverse Effects of Natural Disaster

By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and
substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product
caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and
people in vulnerable situations.

Reduce the Environmental Impact of the Cities

By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying
special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.

Provide Access to Safe and Inclusive Green and Public Spaces

By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces,
in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities.

Strong National and Regional Development

Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and
rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning.

Implement Policies for Inclusion, Resource Efficiency and Disaster Risk Reduction
By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and
implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation
and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line
with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, holistic disaster risk
management at all levels.

Support least Developed Countries in Sustainable and Resilient Building

Support least developed countries, including through financial and technical assistance, in
building sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing local materials
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