Nature and Operation of Kost Private Rental Housing in Urban Settlement Development of Jakarta, Indonesia

As one type of the highly sought after housing facilities in Indonesia, Kosts have formed unique heterogeneous living environment while also been a part of fast growing urban settlement developments in Indonesia＇s capital, Jakarta. This paper investigates the nature and operation of Kost private rental housing developed with various conditions and arrangements, as well as its position among other dwelling types, based on on-site investigations, literature reviews and statistical analyses. It is necessary to understand the development of Kost as it shows potentials to overcome the lack of affordable and adequate housing in the country. An accurate checking process during the application of building permit may early identify Kosts. Undefined standard of operation and arrangement may hinder improvement opportunities to its quality of services. Efforts to educate the community and easy access to related regulations are necessary for improvement and compliance awareness. Moreover, increased collaborative design and public education may improve the knowledge of self-builders on building design, planning and construction. Associations of self-organized housing and platforms offering affordable design services that meet the guidelines and standards are promising ootions.

Existing European Buildings and Cities： Economic Improvement and Evaluation of the Cost-Benefit Related to Lifecycle and Performance

In this study, the interdependency is presented between the characteristics of the buildings and the relative economic value, in order to plan economic policies and preconditions for improving the quality of the European buildings heritage through access, by an holistic approach, to the necessary f＇mancial resources. The economic value of a real estate asset is closely connected to the construction features and their performance over time （lifecycle）. Safer, more comfortable and productive buildings for inhabitants are at the same time more operationally efficient and economically convenient for the owners. Solidity characteristics and static resistance to earthquakes, eco-efficiency and other constructive qualities of the building will provide benefits in the long term, and they are directly related the LCC （life cycle cost） including specific construction and/or maintenance costs. Moreover, these characteristics have an impact on the ＂market value＂ and on the ＂mortgage lending value＂ of properties, as well as on the possibility of financing the purchase through access to more affordable mortgages, and to make really feasible conversions even in the absence of public financial resources. This study introduces a new approach for conversions involving whole buildings or city areas. This research identifies the economic sustainability of a project by combining principles and suitable methodologies, together with performance and other characteristics. These aspects constitute the essential prerequisite for obtaining mortgages from banks and/or financial resources from international investors.

An Inquiry into Success Factors for Post-disaster Housing Reconstruction Projects: A Case of Kerala, South India

The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami triggered significant destruction to housing and related infrastructures across various coastal districts of south India.Research shows that tsunami reconstruction projects in Kerala experienced different degrees of success and failure.On this background,this study explored factors that contributed to the successful implementation of tsunami housing projects in Kerala by(1)consolidating various critical success factors(CSFs)for post-disaster reconstruction(PDR)projects under‘‘project management success traits’’through content analysis of existing literature;(2)deriving a conceptual model that envisages project success in PDR contexts;and(3)assessing the impacts of those success traits on tsunami housing projects using confirmatory factor analysis.Necessary data were gathered through a survey of various stakeholders involved in tsunami reconstruction projects in Kerala using structured questionnaires.The research revealed that PDR project success is attributed to critical dimensions of project management such as institutional mechanisms,reconstruction strategies,project implementation,and stakeholder management.A conceptual model with the interplay of project success,success traits,as well as their CSFs identified the project management actions that must be monitored during reconstruction.Since the project management approach is widely recognized for PDR projects,these success traits hold huge potential for effective organization and management of housing reconstruction projects.The study also helped to identify project management traits that need improvements for the successful implementation of post-disaster housing projects in Kerala.Thus the research findings can serve as a foundational study for formulating project management strategies appropriate to PDR projects in Kerala.