housing and its spatial distribution (types of housing)

Question 1

What is housing?

Answer 1

Structures/buildings to shelter people from the elements & is a basic need
can be permanent/temporary

Question 2

What can housing be classified by?

Answer 2

Height and density
More than 6 storeys & use lifts (high rise)
associated with high density housing

Question 3

where is high-density housing found?

Answer 3

near to the city centre

Question 4

where is low density housing found?

Answer 4

towards the fringe of the city

Question 5

What are the features of formal housing? (4)

Answer 5

-built by government/private developers
-legal right to occupy land
-access to basic services
-high quality building materials

Question 6

What is the legal right to occupy land?

Answer 6

Ability of individuals to freely obtain, use, and possess land (as long as activities do not impede on other individuals’ rights)

Question 7

what does the legal right to occupy land do?

Answer 7

provides security and increases human capabilities (permission obtained)

Question 8

what does access to basic services do?

Answer 8

it contributes to housing environment and quality of life

Question 9

what does access to basic services include?

Answer 9

-easy access to water
-electricity
-sanitation services (infrastructure built tgt with housing project)

Question 10

who manages access to basic services?

Answer 10

Town Council

Question 11

What must developments conform to? (what guidelines)

Answer 11

planning authorities’ guidelines (In SG it is BCA Building and Construction Authority) specifications

Question 12

What high-quality building materials are usually used?

Answer 12

concrete
metal
hard wood

Question 13

What do the materials and guidelines vary with? (what 3 types of circumstances)

Answer 13

1. social
2. economic
3. environmental

Question 14

what must high-quality building materials do?

Answer 14

withstand elements (e.g. heavy rain and strong winds)
protect occupants from basic threats such as fires
last for a long time with minimal maintenance

Question 15

what are the features of informal housing? (4)

Answer 15

1) self-built squatter settlements
2) no legal right to occupy land
3) lack of access to basic services
4) poor-quality building materials

Question 16

Who is informal housing is usually built by and in what manner

Answer 16

typically built by individuals in an unplanned fashion
(development not planned for)

Question 17

what materials are informal housing usually constructed from?

Answer 17

scavenged materials (e.g. repurposed zinc sheets and recycled lumber)

Question 18

what does using inferior building materials lead to? (3)

Answer 18

1) risk of collapsing
2) being flooded on rainy days
3) catching fire easily

Question 19

why is informal housing built?

Answer 19

out of necessity and desperation for shelter

Question 20

where are informal houses usually located at?

Answer 20

government land or private property that is undeveloped and unsecured

Question 21

what risks do occupants of informal housing face?

Answer 21

-environmental threats to their safety
-risk of losing their homes (being evicted)

Question 22

what do informal housing residents do when there is a lack of access to basic services?

Answer 22

resort to illegally tapping onto nearby electrical grids, siphoning water from nearby pipes and disposing of sanitary waste into the ground or nearby rivers

Question 23

what do practices and resorts (due to lack of basic services) lead to?

Answer 23

higher risk of injury and ill-health
(electrocution, consumption of contaminated water and waterborne diseases)

Question 24

Example of housing in cities (high rise, high density)

Answer 24

Apartments
Shared facilities (playgrounds, exercise equipments, swimming pools)

Question 25

Examples of Low rise, Low density housing

Answer 25

Detached houses (bungalows)
Semi-detached houses
Terraces
Shophouses

Question 26

What planning agencies might do? (Chapter 7) ignore

Answer 26

Planning agencies may disallow some uses and construction in unsafe locations to prevent hazards from occurring
Information is then shared with land owners and property developers to ensure everyone’s safety