With growing urban populations and increasing concerns over the effects of climate change on water supplies, there has recently been a significant amount of interdisciplinary research focused on identifying the drivers of urban water use. Due to unavailability of individual or household level data, these studies are often limited to using spatially aggregated data. There is concern that this aggregation of data may be leading to misrepresentations of the drivers of urban water use, yet there have been few studies that have addressed this concern. As in all spatial quantitative analyses, studies in this area should consider how the spatial scales chosen for analysis are affecting the results. The purpose of this research is to use a case study of single-family residential (SFR) water use in Portland, Oregon to determine the extent to which scale variation significantly affects the patterns of SFR water use, and whether household scale water use is influenced by neighborhood and census tract characteristics. The results of this analysis provide evidence that aggregating household scale water use data can mask meaningful patterns in SFR water use and potentially provide misleading information on what is influencing water use habits. This research also shows that using the chosen exploratory variables, there is a statistically significant, but not substantial, cross-scale influence on household scale water use by neighborhood and census tract characteristics.

The vast majority of housing in the United States today has been created to conform to a family definition that does not match current demographic realities. The "traditional family" - a married couple with an employed husband, a homemaker wife, and several children has been the model family that housing designers have strived to accommodate on a grand scale since at least the mid-1940's. This type of family, however, comprises only 10% of all American families; the remaining 90%, despite being a majority, have had their housing needs ignored. One family group often considered to be non-traditional and often left out of housing considerations is the single parent family. This family type is an established household form in the United States; currently nearly one third of all American families are single parent families, most of which are headed by women. During the past few years housing projects have begun to appear that are designed to house "non-traditional families" such as single parent families. It has been generally assumed that the spatial needs of single parent families are different from those of nuclear families or the "traditional family". This research will focus on the analysis of housing as designed for single parent families in comparison to housing as designed for the American nuclear family. Floor plans of the two housing types were obtained from the following cities: Denver, CO, Hayward, CA, Providence, RI, and Minneapolis, MN. The intent of this study is to examine what, if any, differences occur in the spatial orientation of housing designed for single parent families and housing designed for the nuclear family: the single family detached home. The study examined room layout in relation to use and commonly accepted social function. Two methods of analysis were employed: gamma analysis as developed by Hillier and Hanson and annotated analysis developed specifically for this research. The method of gamma analysis was used to determine if the housing as designed for the two family types is different in form and social function, while the annotated analysis was used to measure the "fit" of the housing for each of the family types. It was originally expected that the single parent family dwellings would exhibit a higher degree of integration than the single family detached homes based on predictions gleaned form the literature. However, the gamma analysis revealed a lower mean relative asymmetry value for the single family detached houses (0.308), indicating a higher degree of integration, than the mean relative asymmetry value for the single parent family dwellings (0.368). This difference was not found to be significant (p = 0.276). The annotated analysis results indicated single family detached houses scored a better fit to their intended family type (mean annotated analysis score = 0.638) than did the single parent family dwellings to their intended family type (mean annotated analysis score = 0.533). Again, this difference was not found to be significant (p = 0.385). The findings of this study provide a glimpse at the interior spatial arrangements of housing as designed for the two family types in question. While the results of the two analysis methods seems to indicate that the interior spatial arrangement of housing is not meeting the needs of either family type, more research should be conducted to further substantiate the findings. These findings will be of interest to designers of homes, housing developers, planners and policy makers, and researchers in the field of housing, all of whom can have an effect on the shape of the housing environment and can help make it more suitable for all family types. / Graduation date: 1991

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 93-99).

The purpose of this study was to describe how real estate agents take into account invested energy improvement measures in their valuation of single-family homes. A qualitative research method has been used to achieve the purpose of the study. The data collection was performed through semi-structured interviews with real estate agents in Sweden. In order to be able to structure and analyze the collected material, an analysis method has been used according to Gioia. What we found in the study is that energy-saving investments affect value to varying degrees. Single measures have an insignificant value impact, while several investments have a greater effect on the value of the property. Investment in a new heating system is one such measure that we have found leads to an increased value. We have also found that there is a lack of market information for real estate agents when valuing single-family house units regarding to the energy performance of the comparison object.

No description available.

In 1996, the U.S. Congress initiated a change to the Department of Defense (DOD) military family housing program. Applying organizational learning and change theories, this study of the Department of the Air Force (AF) reveals how the AF used $617 million of federal funds and $8.3 billion of matching private investment to significantly upgrade or construct and manage 53,323 AF family housing units. Using an outcome-oriented process tracing methodology, I examine the process changes, organizational structure modifications, and strategy adjustments the AF instituted to implement this latest attempt at providing military family housing. To understand how those adjustments occurred, this research uses organizational routine theory to help explain how organizations generate change by performing their day-to-day activities. This single-case historical study of AF family housing privatization, used process tracing to identify five primary organizational routines that determine know when there is a minimally sufficient explanation of how the AF learned and changed while privatizing the existing military family housing stock. These organizational routines help to clarify the organizational strategy, implementation process, and structure changes that emerged during privatization to address the quality, quantity, affordability, and timeliness of AF military family housing. The AF approach to transforming military family housing might be applicable to other publicly funded housing programs. / Ph. D.

The United States' suburban landscape has historically been characterized by low-density residential development. This pattern was shaped by the abundance of developable land in nineteenth century America, and by the emergence of a suburban ideal which romanticized the concept of a spacious home set in a private, garden setting. For many homebuyers, the realization of the suburban ideal was made possible by continual improvements in intraurban transportation. The commuter rail, the electric streetcar, and ultimately the automobile increased the commuting range of inner-city workers, and contributed to the continual expansion of development on the periphery of cities. In recent years, economic and population pressures have contributed to accelerated housing costs in many metropolitan areas, necessitating a redefining of the traditional suburban ideal. Rising land costs have prompted developers to build single-family homes at increasingly higher densities. Developers now face the challenge of designing and implementing development strategies which maximize land use efficiency, and yet still retain some of the "garden setting" ambiance of the traditional suburban ideal. This study traces the historical evolution of residential densities in Washington County, through review of 2235 Washington County plat maps dating from 1870 to 1992. The data reveals a slow growth, low-density development prior to World War II, and a high-growth and increasingly higher-density pattern of development in the post-World War II period. Since 1980, high-density suburban developments have become an increasingly common feature of the Washington County landscape. Examination of the spatial distribution of these subdivisions suggests a strong correlation between high-density development and land scarcity. Comparison of the different types of high-density subdivisions found in Washington County reveals how common-space developments allow for more effective integration with the natural environment. The future of subdivision development in Washington County, hinges upon the results of Metro's Region 2040 study. The Region 2040 study will ultimately recommend the extent that the urban growth boundary should be expanded, and thus will directly affect the availability of developable land The amount, type, ownership, and zoning of these "urban reserves" will be important considerations for future subdivision development in Washington County.

This professional report is a study of urban housing market forces, housing opportunities of the critical workforce population, Austin’s housing market and an analysis of the apartment market in Austin between 2000 and 2010. The report analyzes the supply and demand of property, its influence on the costs of development and how cities intervene into the market to create housing opportunities for the critical workforce. The income levels of the critical workforce in Austin are related to the current market conditions of the apartment market. / text

Purpose: Today the amount of Eco labelled multi-family houses are increasing. The Nordic Swan is a well-known certification that has grown a lot when it’s comes to certifying multi-family houses in Sweden. Unlike other well-known ecolabels there are not many studies done on the Nordic Swan. By studying the certification, and its establishment, in two large projects the goal of this study is to pinpoint weaknesses in the process of attaining the Nordic Swan and then make improvement proposals.Method: In order to provide improvement proposals, a qualitative study was chosen. A study of literature and a document analysis is the foundation of the study by taking theoretical aspects into account, within the Nordic Swan and multi-family housing. The chosen qualitative method is also based on semi structured interviews. The interview respondents were selected as: two production supervisors, a site manager, a quality and environmental coordinator, a project manager and a project developer. All respondents are working daily with the projects, characterized by the Nordic Swan. The different persons were chosen to obtain a high validity of the study. To further increase the validity and its reliability, respondents were given back the empirical data so that they could make further comments and revisions. Reliability was assured by providing well-designed questions.Findings: The goal refers to improvements with the certification, propelling to new knowledge, within the area of the subject. The empirical investigation shows recurring problems with the product database within the certification, seen from the respondent’s experiences of working with the Nordic Swan in projects. They’ve informed about challenges that comes with respective working process. The certification is solid and gives a qualitative product, but has a time-consuming learning process. Overall, the respondent’s focused on the way of working with the ecolabel and the organisations way of managing the product database, both for an older and a new version.The improvement proposals that results from an analyzation of interviews concerns the communication between the Nordic Swan and its customers, how the Nordic Swan’s product database can improve when future versions releases and how the ecolabel could accomplish a greater eco-impact to the projects by promoting “green innovations”.Limitations: The study is limited to the application of the Nordic Swan in multi-family housing in two large projects. As the guidelines in the process do not differ between companies, the result can be considered general. Retrieving information from even more companies on the other hand could have resulted in a more accurate overall result.Implications: The drawn conclusion from the thesis is that the result creates opportunities for improving the certification process. It can also be used to get more companies to use the Nordic Swan. It provides an opportunity for both companies and individuals to farm an understanding regarding the certification. / Kvarteret Mars, Kolla Parkstad.

Current Federal, State, and local San Francisco housing policy advocates mixed-income housing as a positive approach to creating living environments for low-income families. Strategies for creating mixed-income housing environments include large-scale public housing re-development efforts, inclusionary housing policies, and the use of discretionary funding for mixed-income development projects. Researchers agree that there is not yet enough evidence to support that mixed-income strategies are achieving positive results and have noted that the expected outcomes for mixed-income strategies are founded upon a number of assumptions. It is assumed that a mix of households at varying income levels will result in greater stability, improved access to services and resources, opportunities for social networking, and greater social control leading. This study addresses the root of these assumptions and presents findings regarding the perceived success of mixed-income development in realizing desired outcomes. Results are presented based on in-depth interviews with housing industry experts. This study aims to provide a clearer picture of why mixed-income development has gained popularity and how the strategy may be better understood and utilized in future housing development.