Residential satisfaction in gated communities according to stages in the life cycle with reference to Cairo, Egypt

The objective of the study is to investigate, in the Egyptian context, residential satisfaction in gated communities (GCs) in relation to stages in the life cycle. The aim is to identify possible differences between the different stages in the life cycle in terms of the most important predictors of overall residential satisfaction. The study relies on a survey questionnaire administered to a sample of residents of Al-Rehab GC in Cairo, Egypt (n = 131). The sample was divided into four life cycle stage groups: young singles (YS) (n = 36), heads of young family households (YF) (n = 41), heads of households with older children (OC) (n = 34), and empty nesters (EN) (n = 20). Statistical analysis does indeed reveal differences between stages in the life cycle in relation to the most important components of residential satisfaction. In particular, for YF and OC, the social environment within the GC was the most important predictor of overall residential satisfaction. For these two life cycle groups, issues related to the needs and safety of their children were also important. In contrast, for EN, the social environment and characteristics of the area around the dwelling appeared to be much less important than for other groups. For EN, satisfaction with the dwelling unit itself was shown to be the most important predictor of overall residential satisfaction.

Non-Linear Effects of the Built Environment and Social Environment on Bus Use among Older Adults in China: An Application of the XGBoost Model

Global aging has raised increasing concerns on the health and well-being of older adults. Public transport is a viable option to improve the mobility and quality of life among older adults. However, policies that promote the public transport use among older adults are rare. This study utilizes the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) decision tree to explore the non-linear associations of the built and social environment with bus use among older adults in China. The bus use of older adults was obtained from the Zhongshan Household Travel Survey (ZHTS) in 2012. Results show that non-linear relationships exist among all built environment and social environment characteristics. Within certain thresholds, the percentage of green space land use, land use mixture, bus-stop density, and dwelling unit density are positively related to bus use among older adults. Likewise, one social environment variable, the proportion of older adults in a neighborhood, is the key social environment variable. Furthermore, the dwelling unit density and proportion of older adults appear to have an inverse U-shaped relationship. Additionally, age, ownership of motorcycles, and distance from home to the nearest bus stop also show non-linearity. The findings presented in this paper facilitate effective planning interventions to promote bus use among older adults.

The Moderating Effect of Privacy in the Relationships between Residential Livability and Residents' Life Satisfaction

This article seeks to determine whether privacy has a moderating effect on the relationship between residential livability and life satisfaction among low-income groups in Dutse, Jigawa State, Nigeria. The study utilised a quantitative research design, whereby descriptive and inferential analyses were employed. This was achieved through a wellstructured questionnaire administered to low-cost housing residents in the state. The data were subjected to descriptive analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software and structural equation modelling (SEM) using Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS). The results indicated that about 73.4% of the residents experienced a low level of life satisfaction. The findings from the SEM showed that the moderating effect of privacy in the relationship between the dwelling unit and life satisfaction was good. Meanwhile, privacy was not a moderator in the relationship between social environment and life satisfaction. Finally, the article revealed that the residents' life satisfaction could be improved if dwelling unit features and privacy were considered in the low-cost housing design. Practically, the study serves as a blueprint for government policy in designing low-cost housing in the future.

ASSESSMENT OF TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURE OF LUCKNOW WITH REFERENCE TO CLIMATIC RESPONSIVENESS

Introduction: Traditional architecture, all over the world, has many characteristics that ensure thermal comfort. In the past, people built their houses in harmony with the environment, while also optimally utilizing the building materials available locally. The traditional built form was climate-responsive; it evolved over centuries of experience and observations of climate and nature. The traditional local architecture of Lucknow (a North Indian historical city) has employed some ingenious natural and passive techniques to maintain thermal comfort within the building, particularly during the hottest hours of the day. In this paper, we discuss the traditional built form of Lucknow through the lens of its climatic appropriateness, especially during the hottest hours of the day. Methods: The research methodology involves the study of the thermal performance of two traditional houses and one modern dwelling unit in Lucknow during the climatic extremes, i.e. summer and winter, by means of on-site monitoring of temperature and relative humidity. Results and discussion: We have summarized the comparative analysis of the thermal performance of traditional houses and modern houses and drawn conclusions from the factors that are responsible for providing thermal comfort. The analysis shows that the use of natural and passive techniques in the traditional buildings of Lucknow is very effective in terms of providing a thermally comfortable space, warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Evaluation of Daylight Parameters on the Basis Simulation Model For the Tropical Climate

Use of natural daylight in the building is energy saving with respect to illumination levels and health benefits. However in, the hot and dry climatic zone increase in daylight availability may result into thermal ingress. This might lead to excess energy conservation. The aim of this paper is to evolve the methodology which could be used as a pre design tool for assessing the lighting provisions and thermal performance of spaces within buildings adopted by designers during the design process. The field measurements were conducted on the liveable spaces of a dwelling unit of the Nagpur region. Simulation studies using Ecotect Analysis 2011 was conducted for both illumination and thermal energy. The field measurements were compared with the simulated results. It has been found that the percentage difference (PD) between the Ecotect measurements (EM) and field measurements (FM) for both thermal loads and an illuminance level was less than 15%, the simulated model was considered precise for further study. The result imply that the simulated model would be ample for designers to evaluate the parameters associated to wall to window ratio, shading devices with respect to orientation of the building which helps to achieve the optimum useful daylight index.