A business case for flexible housing: The feasibility of implementing flexibility measures in the housing market

Adaptive construction is already for decades on the agenda of the construction sector. The adaptive capacity of a building includes all properties and qualities that enable the building keeping its (economic feasible) functionality during the technical life cycle, under altered conditions and needs (Geraedts 2014). Meanwhile, the interest in...

Social innovation and social economy: A new framework in the Spanish housing context

The main purpose of this paper is to offer a new theoretical framework to the Spanish housing studies. This article combines different traditions and different frameworks (social innovation, social economy), in order to position the crisis of evictions in Spain and the emergence of housing co-operatives in a new theoretical context. In the first...

From the Kebele to the Condominium: Accommodating Social and Spatial Practices in Ethiopia's Politics of Affordable Housing

One decade ago in the capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, more than 80% of its four million inhabitants lived in the so-called kebele houses, which are the local variant of a well-known urban figure, the slum. In order to cope with the housing backlog sparked by the need to replace the dilapidated kebele houses, to accommodate the city’s...

The Dutch Urban Ground Lease: In fatal crisis or a bright future?

Once abolished by the French, being a product of feudalism, reintroduced by the Dutch after the downfall of Napoleon’s empire. Heralded by both liberals and socialists after 1900 as a tool for governments to prevent land speculation and to implement spatial policies. A century later despised by many, considered to be a governmental cash cow. The...

Urban housing policy review of China: From economic growth to social inclusion

This paper reviews the housing policy of China from 1949-2013. It examines the housing tenure change, policy instruments, and impacts social structures in different time periods. After the welfare period of 1949-77, the dual provision period of 1978-1998, and the market dominant period of 1999-2011, China’s housing policy was again reformed...

Innovation development for highly energy-efficient housing

Buildings account for 40% of EU final energy demand and policy developments like the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive are stimulating the innovation development for nearly zero-energy housing. However, businesses switching to innovative products for highly energy-efficient houses is a process that is poorly understood. To accelerate...

Shrinking Cities and Path Dependency

When cities started shrinking, governments felt they had to do something. Where the main reason for shrinking was the closing down of traditional industry, economic policies were the first to be introduced: first by subsidising and reorganising existing companies, later by trying to create a more diverse employment structure. Gradually it was...

Evolution of housing

‘Perfection means something is complete and stands still and what stands still doesn’t change or evolve and is automatically dead. Everything in the universe changes, evolution implies that the creation is not complete hence the possibility of evolving’ (Osho, 1985). Our society and economy are constantly changing. Hence the demands and wishes...