Chapter 8: Housing and its spatial distribution Flashcards
Characteristics of Informal Housing?
- Illegally or unlawfully built
- They do not have insurance coverage (poses risk)
- Usually built by individuals who are unable to afford/access formal housing
- Lack access to basic services (transportation, public hospitals or education instituitions)
Features of Formal Housing:
- Legal Rights to occupy the land
- Built by government or private developers
- Access to basic services
- High-quality building materials
Characteristics of Formal Housing?
- Built using high quality materials
- Legally built
- Access to basic services (transportation, public hospitals or education instituitions)
- Usually provided for by
government housing programmes or private developers
Explain the trait “Built by government or private developers” (Formal Housing)
Formal housing developments are built by the government or private developers because they are part of the urban planning process.
E.g. All public housing in Singapore are developed by the Housing and Development Board (HDB). The HDB builds flats and towns and their supporting amenities such as hawker centres and roads on government owned land.
What does legal rights to occupy the land give you? (Formal Housing)
Land rights refer to the ability of individuals to freely obtain, use and possess land at their discretion as long as their activities on land do not impede on other individuals’ rights.
This helps to provide security and increases human capabilities.
What is having access to basic services (Formal Housing)
Urban planners also plan for the provision of basic services like easy access to water, electricity and sanitation services.
Infrastructure is also support such services such as underground water pipes, sewage pipes and power lines are also being built.
These help to improve the quality of life of residents in these housing developments.
Define “High-quality building materials” (Formal Housing)
Housing developments must adhere to planning authorities’ guidelines and use high-quality building materials such as concrete, metal or hardwood. Such guidelines usually vary from country to country, depending on social, economic and environmental conditions of the place.
A house built using high quality materials can withstand elements such as heavy rain, strong winds and can also protect occupants from basic threats such as fires and last a long time without maintenance.
How do formal housing ensure that high quality material is used? (Measure)
Example: In Singapore, all housing construction must conform to the Building and Construction Authority’s (BCA) specifications for building quality and safety. Bathrooms are filled with water for 4 hours to check for leakage.
What is the result of informal housing?
Social unrest, degradation of environmental quality, facilitates the spread of diseases → squatter settlements become very undesirable
List the BLOAQ
- Built by private developers or the government
- Located typically on desirable land (Oftren referring to places that are safe and secure, near greenery, with quality infrastructure)
- Owndership: Residents have LEGAL rights to occupy the land
- Access to basic facilities such as sanitation, clean water and electricity
- Quality of housing: Built with high quality materials following the standard of the planning authorities’ guidlines
Why do Informal housing exist?
Common in countries that are struggling to support the immense influx of people who move to cities with the hope of improving their circumstances and building a better life. However, these people cannot afford to live in formal housing and end up settling within informal housing in the cities or on the outskirts of cities as squatters.
Land-use planning of Formal Housing:
Zoning: Practised by Planning authorities to control where and what is built within specified areas in citiies.
Land-use planning of Informal Housing:
They do not practise zoning. INSTEAD they are located near large residential and industrial developments to benefit from the quality of infrastructure.
