Short answer

When designing social housing, especially in contexts with a strong history of informal spatial practices, consider how residents currently adapt and use their environment, and explore ways to integrate these successful strategies into new designs.

Field: Classic Design
Source: Journal of Architecture and Urbanism (2015)
Method: Mixed-methods research combining qualitative and quantitative approaches.
Evidence: Strong effect

Traditional principles of appropriating open spaces, even in informal urban settlements, demonstrate significant relevance to residents' practices and attitudes, suggesting their potential for integration into modern social housing. This classic design research insight is drawn from a 2015 study published in Journal of Architecture and Urbanism. Using Mixed-methods research combining qualitative and quantitative approaches., researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing social housing, especially in contexts with a strong history of informal spatial practices, consider how residents currently adapt and use their environment, and explore ways to integrate these successful strategies into new designs.

Study

Classic DesignHigh ImpactStrong effect

Traditional urbanism principles remain relevant for contemporary social housing design.

Journal of Architecture and Urbanism · 2015

Key Findings

01The traditional principle of appropriating open spaces is relevant to residents' current practices.
02The principle is significantly relevant to residents' attitudes.
03The principle can potentially be re-legitimized and integrated into current social housing processes.

Application

Design takeaway

How to apply

Before designing social housing, conduct ethnographic research to understand how residents currently interact with and modify their living spaces, then explore how these observed behaviors can be accommodated or enhanced in the new design.

Project actions

01When researching a design problem, look for historical or traditional precedents that might still influence user behavior.
02Consider how users have adapted or modified existing spaces to meet their needs, as this can reveal unmet requirements.

Method & Evidence

AimTo investigate the relevance of traditional urban planning principles, specifically the appropriation of open spaces, within contemporary urban poor communities in Cairo.

MethodMixed-methods research combining qualitative and quantitative approaches.

ProcedureThe research involved defining the principle of 'right of appropriation of open spaces and fina'' from literature and then conducting field investigations through multiple case studies in urban poor communities in Cairo.

ContextUrban planning and social housing in informal settlements of Cairo, Egypt.

Variables

IVTraditional principle of appropriation of open spaces.

DVRelevance to residents' practices and attitudes.

CVUrban poor communities in Cairo, Egypt.

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Addresses a gap in understanding the relevance of traditional urbanism in contemporary contexts.
+Employs a mixed-methods approach for a more comprehensive analysis.

Limitations

The findings are specific to the context of Cairo's urban poor communities and may not be directly transferable to other cultural or economic settings without further investigation.

Reliability & validity

The validity of the findings relies on the accurate definition of the traditional principle and the representative nature of the case studies. Reliability would depend on the consistency of data collection methods across different case studies.

Think critically

To what extent can traditional design principles be 're-legitimized' and integrated into modern housing without exacerbating existing social or environmental issues?

Design Principles

"Design interventions in established communities should acknowledge and, where appropriate, integrate existing user practices and cultural norms to enhance acceptance and functionality."

This research challenges the assumption that traditional design principles are obsolete. It highlights the importance of understanding and respecting established user practices and cultural norms when designing housing, particularly for vulnerable communities. Incorporating these insights can lead to more user-accepted and contextually appropriate housing solutions.

What This Means for Your Design

Old ways of using space in cities, like claiming a bit of open area, are still important to people today, especially in poorer neighborhoods. This means we can learn from these old habits to make new housing projects better.

How to use in your project

1.Reference this study when discussing the importance of user practices and cultural context in your design project, particularly if your project involves social housing or aims to integrate existing community behaviors.

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Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

Research by Ahmed (2015) investigating traditional urbanism principles in Cairo's poor communities found that the 'right of appropriation of open spaces' remained highly relevant to residents' practices and attitudes. This suggests that contemporary design projects, particularly in social housing, should consider integrating established user behaviors and cultural norms to enhance user acceptance and the functionality of the built environment.

Source

Journal of Architecture and Urbanism

INVESTIGATING ‘RELEVANCY’ OF THE TRADITIONAL PRINCIPLE OF THE RIGHT OF APPROPRIATION OF OPEN SPACE AND FINA’ IN CONTEMPORARY URBAN POOR COMMUNITIES IN CAIRO, EGYPT

journal · 2015

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Questions About This Research

What does the research say about traditional urbanism principles remain relevant for contemporary social housing design?: When designing social housing, especially in contexts with a strong history of informal spatial practices, consider how residents currently adapt and use their environment, and explore ways to integrate these successful strategies into new designs. Evidence: Journal of Architecture and Urbanism (2015).
Why does "Traditional urbanism principles remain relevant for contemporary social housing design." matter for design?: This research challenges the assumption that traditional design principles are obsolete. It highlights the importance of understanding and respecting established user practices and cultural norms when designing housing, particularly for vulnerable communities. Incorporating these insights can lead to more user-accepted and contextually appropriate housing solutions.
How can designers apply this research?: When designing social housing, especially in contexts with a strong history of informal spatial practices, consider how residents currently adapt and use their environment, and explore ways to integrate these successful strategies into new designs.
What were the main findings?: The traditional principle of appropriating open spaces is relevant to residents' current practices.. The principle is significantly relevant to residents' attitudes.. The principle can potentially be re-legitimized and integrated into current social housing processes.
What research method was used?: Mixed-methods research combining qualitative and quantitative approaches..
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2015 journal from Journal of Architecture and Urbanism.
What should I do differently in my next project?: Before designing social housing, conduct ethnographic research to understand how residents currently interact with and modify their living spaces, then explore how these observed behaviors can be accommodated or enhanced in the new design.
What are the limitations?: The study focused on specific urban poor communities in Cairo, and health/environmental impacts of the principle were noted as needing further consideration for full re-legitimization.