Karadimitriou, N (2007) Re-use of previously developed land: housebuilder adaptation to a changing context. PhD thesis, University College London, UK.
Abstract
Recent changes in UK urban policy are important contributors in shifting the way the built environment in the UK is produced. The thesis examines the effect this policy push has on the housebuilding sector, on the types of dwellings and developments produced and the efforts of two major London housebuilders to adapt. Since the mid 1990s, UK governments have emphasised the need to accommodate new housing provision on previously developed land, predominantly in urban areas. This changing business environment forces housebuilders to adapt. Opportunities open up as new inner city markets emerge, whereas obtaining planning permission for sites on previously undeveloped land is becoming increasingly difficult. These new markets and new types of land input require housebuilders to re organise their development practices. New types of dwellings and developments have to be designed, financed, produced and sold. Aggregate statistics for the housebuilding sector reveal that housing development is transforming: dwelling production in metropolitan areas is increasing, the proportion of flats is rising and densities are increasing. The examination of two firms and two of their projects also shows that both firms are responding to their new business environment. The first response puts emphasis on flexibility and has led to sustained growth whereas the other response, focused on spreading development risks geographically and amongst different markets, is proving to be less successful at the moment. Although this transformation is still unfolding, the insights from the research can already prove useful to policy makers and housebuilders. An examination of housebuilding based on ideas deriving from a combination of institutionalist and evolutionary approaches can open new pathways in the way we understand the housebuilding industry and therefore in the way we understand processes of production and consumption of the built environment and the significance of planning policy as an instigator of change.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Edwards, M and de Magalhaes, C |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | government; housebuilder; housing development; London; markets; policy; UK |
| Index terms: | statistics, markets, planning policy, land, housebuilding, London, built environment, aggregate, adaptation, housebuilder, transformation, density, becoming, re-use, consumption, housing provision, urban area, urban policy, inner city, housing development |
| Subjects: | housing and residential development, land use and regional development, philosophical process, infrastructure and transport systems, construction integration, urban form and morphology, Geography, health safety and environment, urban planning, public policy, real estate economics, analytical methods, economic analysis, construction type, mathematical modelling, business, user focus, materials science, consumer economics, practitioner |
| Topics: | Health and Safety, Engineering Principles, Geographical Context, Urban Studies, Design Practice, Stakeholder Management, Roles and Professions, Governance, Construction Technology, Business Strategy, Research Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCA |
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