Harris, P T and Holt, G D (1999) The management of sustainable social housing refurbishment strategies in the West Midlands region of the UK. In: Hughes, W (ed.) Proceedings of 15th Annual ARCOM Conference, 15-17 September 1999, Liverpool, UK.
Abstract
The terms 'sustainability' and 'sustainable development' are currently in vogue, but what do they refer to? How do we achieve sustainability? Are construction managers achieving sustainability in their decision-making strategies in the important social housing sector of the industry? These are some of the questions addressed in this paper. A 'snapshot' survey was performed amongst a small, regional sample of Local Authority and Registered Social Landlords, using structured interviewing techniques. The aim was to 'test the water' regarding awareness of sustainable development in social refurbishment programmes. Through qualitative analysis, preliminary findings indicate a fragmented, non-coherent approach to this subject, with decision-makers unsure of the success of their actions in terms of achieving sustainability. Too much 'voluminous' information; not enough lucid information; lack of direction; and a heavy reliance on manufacturer product information were salient issues identified. Those participants interviewed were attempting to adopt a sustainable ethos. However, a more structured, coherent programme of sustainability implementation is required if construction is to significantly contribute to the goals of sustainable development.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | bruntland report; local agenda 21; refurbishment; social housing; sustainable development |
| Index terms: | qualitative analysis, construction manager, decision-making, social housing, implementation, landlord, manufacturer, programme, survey, local authority, product information, strategy, sustainable development |
| Subjects: | housing and residential development, project controls, decision analysis, sociology, health safety and environment, management, contractual arrangements, innovation studies, practitioner, data collection methods, profession, research design and methodology |
| Topics: | Risk Management, Stakeholder Management, Roles and Professions, Procurement, Health and Safety, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Time Control, Urban Studies |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here