Abstract This research focuses on developing former mining sites situated in the south of the City of Johannesburg that are contaminated with radon gas. This well-located land would be suitable for development of houses for low – to – moderate-income earners, preferably those living +10km away from the city centre. Former mining land has been developed in other countries both in Europe and in America. The results from international experience shows that houses had been developed on sites contaminated with radon and people had lived longer than 35 years without contracting lung cancer. The literature reviewed reveals that radon is the world’s second greatest cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoke. There are local and international norms and standards that development of land contaminated with radon should adhere too. In South Africa, the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) sets the norms and standards for development of land contaminated with radon in which compliance with international norms and standards has been predetermined. Utilisation of the former mining land south of the City of Johannesburg will reduce development of houses at the periphery and will bring people closer to employment opportunities, amenities, transportation, services and facilities required for sustainable housing environment. Radon-contaminated land was visited, and surveys were administered to get different opinions from people who are close to mine dumps and those who are far from the Central Business District. The results show that people are interested and prepared to take the risk of living in areas contaminated with radon. The City of Johannesburg’s former mining land should therefore be considered to meet the goals of housing units. Therefore, former mining land should in future be developed for housing purposes, provided approval has been granted by the relevant government departments.

The cost of housing is rising disproportionately to income throughout the country. Alternative methods of providing low to moderate income housing are always being sought to offset the gap created by the varying rates of growth between the cost of housing and income. The purpose of this professional report is to examine the Limited Equity Cooperative (LEC) which by simple definition generally limits the resale value of member shares to maintain affordability over time. This report looks at the specifics the LEC to determine how it can by used to provide a viable solution to an overall shortage for low to moderate income households through an hypothetical test cased using 2007 data for the Metropolitan Boston area. / text

This professional project estimates the upfront costs and utility savings expected from greening an approximately 1,100 square foot home built in the 1950s in the San Francisco Bay Area. Two sets of upgrades (alternative and original) were compared for costs and benefits. The alternative set (which included ceiling insulation and omitted upgrading to dual-pane windows) clearly out performed the original set. The alternative set would be expected to reduce resident utility bills by 28% annually, and to prevent approximately 2,700 lbs of carbon dioxide emissions annually. The water efficiency upgrades were the best performing group of upgrades, as they had the lowest upfront cost and shortest payback period. (These water efficiency upgrades consisted of modifying toilets, faucets, and showerhead, as well as upgrading the dishwasher and clothes washer to efficient models.) Future very low-budget greening programs, in nearly all cases, should include a full-set of water fixture modifications, weatherstripping, and clotheslines. As budgets allow, other upgrades from alternative upgrades list are recommended, such as ceiling fans, programmable thermostats, and ceiling insulation. Whenever possible, workforce development labor should be used to simultaneously reduce labor costs and multiply the social benefit of each project dollar by providing entry-level green collar jobs.