Infrastructure System Planning for Affordable Housing for Workers
Introduction:
The research reveals a few methods for establishing an infrastructure system consistently, such as planning solutions, investing processes, and policy innovation. Besides, the study proposes a solution for the assessment of infrastructure quality in affordable housing for workers. The research applied the assessing system to evaluate two social housing areas in Hanoi, Vietnam. The results of this study may become a reference for planning infrastructure systems for workers’ housing. Ensuring the lives of employees is the foundation of social security that helps improve the efficiency of labor and develop the national economy.
Established industrial zones have contributed to the development of the economy, the creation of jobs, and an increase in the income of workers. However, their living condition has yet to be recognized with full attention. Affordable housing projects for laborers have been built in some areas, but the infrastructure system has not been carried out for a long time, leading to negative impacts on the lives of workers.
Method of evaluating the quality of infrastructure system in affordable housing projects:
Step 1: Proposing of indicators to measure infrastructure system quality with component factors:
There should be a system of indicators for evaluating the quality of infrastructure system. It will help both investors and laborers determine the real value of infrastructure quality in affordable housing projects. Each indicator should have some component factors. They will help evaluate more clearly the quality of criterion.
Step 2: Determine weighting of infrastructure system values and evaluated points of indicators:
The survey was carried out on 150 workers living in affordable housing areas of North Thang Long IP and Phu Nghia IP. The questionnaire has two main parts. The first one is assessing the importance of each indicator in general (in 03 levels: Very important, Important, and Not important). By using the percentage of evaluation report, the weighting values of indicators are established.
Step 3: Determine level of infrastructure system quality:
Levels of infrastructure system quality are evaluated based on the stage of developing affordable housing project.
Developing infrastructure system in affordable housing projects closely related to the formation and development of industrial parks:
Based on the formation of industrial parks, it is proposed to divide the formation and development period of infrastructure system in affordable housing projects into 3 stages:
Stage I: Planning: the process concerned with the design, the development and use of land;
Stage II: Forming: this is the first stage of industrial park development and affordable housing projects for workers, corresponding to the formation period of IP is below 10 years and the fill rate of IP is under 40%;
Stage III: Developing: corresponding to the formation period of IP is from 10 years and above, the fill rate of IP is higher than 40%;
Each stage should have specific regulations with regard to quality and quantity of the minimum infrastructure system, such as educational institution health facility, retail areas. Especially, it is crucial to have the provisions related to the small-scale retail areas to serve the daily lives of laborers.
Small-scale retail areas should be added into the planning regulation of infrastructure system in affordable housing projects:
There is a fact that small-scale retail areas such as food stores, groceries, laundries are essential for laborers to meet their basic needs. However, the planning law does not have any regulation for them. In reality, many local people use the vacant and uncontrolled spaces for their private purpose, leads to lots of complicated social problems. As a result, it could be better for the government to issue regulations and standards in terms of using land for small scale retail areas in affordable housing projects.
Conclusion:
Theoretically, the research shows that infrastructure system plays an important role in affordable housing planning for workers to ensure the quality of their lives. Housing for laborers has some different features from residential areas in cities because it depends on the formation period and fill rate of IPs, so that the regulations of affordable housing planning should be adapted to real situation of each IP, especially in social infrastructure system.
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