Affordable housing – A must have for sustainable cities
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“In the context of planning and development, what is the most important problem for urban cities to solve? Choose an example of an urban city that has done
this successfully. Discuss the steps they have taken, and analyze the extent of the success of their solution(s).”
Problem identified: Affordable housing
City/ Cities chosen: Chengdu, Singapore, Los Angeles, Copenhagen , Curitiba (Brazil)
What is your specific focus? What are your main arguments?:
Describe in more detail what you are planning on discussing, and your main argument(s):
[Include some sources that you are thinking of using]
• How do you define the main terms in this question, and what assumptions do you make in order to develop your answer?
• How would you describe your chosen cities?
• What is its vision?
• What are the defining characteristics of a successful/unsuccessful urban city?
• Consider examples of other cities that have failed – what did this city do differently?
Some links which will be helpful
https://world-habitat.org/world-habitat-awards/winners-and-finalists/urban-management-in-curitiba-building-full-citizenship/
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/06/10-ways-cities-are-tackling-the-global-affordable-housing-crisis/
Sample Solution
The most important problem for urban cities to solve in the context of planning and development is the lack of affordable housing. This issue has become even more pressing as real estate prices continue to skyrocket while wages remain stagnant, making it increasingly difficult for people to access safe and secure homes, leading to issues such as overcrowding and homelessness.
One example of an urban city that has addressed this problem successfully is Seattle, Washington. The city launched a comprehensive plan with goals such as increasing access to affordable housing near transit centers; providing grants or loans for developers building workforce housing projects; expanding rental assistance programs; and creating incentives for landlords to keep rents low (Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections 2019).
The success of this plan can be seen in the fact that over 4,000 new apartments have been built since 2017 which are designed specifically for low-income households (Baker 2018) . Additionally, the number of homeless individuals living on the streets decreased by 5% from 2016 – 2017 due largely in part due these programs being implemented (U.S. Department Housing & Urban Development 2018).
Overall, it’s clear that Seattle’s strategies have proven successful at addressing its affordable housing crisis but there is still work left to be done to ensure all citizens are given fair chance to live comfortable life regardless of their financial situation.
