Property Development Environment: A Regional Property Sector of Nottingham - Term Paper Example

An analysis of the property development environment (Residential) focusing on a regional property sector of (Nottingham) Introduction Background about the subject In recent years United Kingdom, show a sudden upsurge in the domain of residential property markets. The factors, which have led to the sudden demand for residential properties in the United Kingdom, depend on activities of social groups on road safety and other environmental issues. Moreover, another very determinant factor behind the housing estate revolution in the United Kingdom is the need for a steady urbanization. Introduction to the subject People in the United Kingdom are showing increased trends to move towards towns and cities. The increase in housing estates in the United Kingdom has made a strong focus on the need for safety on the roads. It has created a demand for the vehicular traffic to move at slower speeds, which also includes the car owners. The need for a slow vehicular traffic in regards to the creation of housing estates signifies the importance given to social activities. People living in the small towns desire to create a community for them where they can have open space to carry on socializing and community activities. In turn, the housing estates thus created along small towns and cities would be free from communal harms like thefts and robbery. Further, it also targets to reduction in the rate of accidents owing to vehicular traffic and creates a safer roaming environment for the children living in the estates. (Clayden, McKoy & Wild, 2006, p.55). Description In regards to the above context, the paper focuses on the needs for development of residential property development focusing on the area of Nottingham. It analyses the features built in the residential projects citing their relevance to residential comfort. In that a case study of the Nottingham residential projects is done. Factors, which trigger the development of the modern residential areas, have also been dealt with to give a brief understanding of needs development. Finally, the future development of the residential projects is underlined to trace its growth in the coming period. Aim of the Research The aim of the research is to analyze the development in regards to residential property segment focusing on the Nottingham area. It aims to understand the causes, which led to the need for developing the housing property. It focuses on the areas where development was initiated, analyzes its efficacy in regards to the residents’ comfort levels. Research Body The increase in the residential space in the United Kingdom is referred to as the increase in the ‘Home Zones’. ‘Home Zones’ signify the concept of shared spaces. It means that both vehicles and civilians would share the streets pertaining to any residential society. The social bodies, which demand an increase in the ‘Home Zones’ market argue on some essential points. They state that an increase in the ‘Home Zones’ would considerably reduce the heavy traffic movement along the regions. Further, the reduction of traffic in the residential areas would certainly focus in enhancing the aesthetics of the region. It would also deliver a safer playing zone for children and the growth of social activities. To this, end the government of England sanctioned 30 million pounds program for the ‘Home Zone’ cause. It contributed to making 61 designs for ‘Home Zone’ units spread along 57 localities. In regards to an effective ‘Home Zone’ design points like entrance, street, streetscape, social face and interface must be kept in mind. In regards to the entrance factor, an effective ‘Home Zone’ design needs to target on creating of shared space by planting of trees along the roadside. This mode in turn would result in reducing the speed of the vehicular movement. The street factor in an effective ‘Home Zone’ design focuses on calming the traffic movement. The plantation of trees along the roadside as mentioned before carries it out. Moreover, the creation of parking spaces helps in the rearrangement of traffic standards, which thereby helps in the availability of free space for residents. In regards to designing the streets, or streetscape it should be made free of bumps and a distinction should be evident as to the walking and driving space. The creation of social spaces along the roadside is encouraged for commuters and pedestrians to sit or to carry on social activities. However, the creation of social spaces is controversial in regards to it being used for anti-social purposes. Finally, effective ‘Home Zone’ practices targets at creating a favorable interface between homes and the streets. In effect, a ‘Home Zone’ must create seats in a segregated street space wherein people can seat outside their homes. This helps the residents to use the street space for personal reasons and is a newer vision. However, investment made along these spheres in ‘Home Zone’ programs did not much change the people’s perception of the streets (Bidulph, 2010). A case study made on the Kennington area in Nottingham reveals that houses, both old and new-fashioned, constitute the area. It has a mixture of terraced buildings of the 1930 fashion, flats with a two-storey concept prevalent around the 1980 period and modern properties. Six streets adjacent to each other surround the area make the home zone. Terraced buildings and modern semi-detached properties surround the Kennington Street. Most of the terraced properties open up to the Kennington Road with small gardens as a means to personalizing the street space. Further, the road provides access to a local primary institution and has a children park. The houses of the Kenington Road have low-level walls and share space between them. Car parking areas available along the road are properly demarcated. Further, to add to the aesthetic beauty of the road, trees are planted on its sides. Street lighting is cared for to reduce accidents and increase safety. However, the design of the Kennington Road has no further seating arrangement along its way for encouraging social activities. (Clayden, McKoy & Wild, 2006, p. 60). It is now important to study the factors, which triggered the necessity of creation of home zones and the success of such motives. Firstly, the need for increased social interaction activities initiated the development of the home zones. The case study of Kennington Road in Nottingham however reveals that the respondents did not feel the importance of home zone activities in increasing social interaction with neighbors. A survey states that 65 percent of the residents do not anticipate a change in relations in the community sphere owing to home zone activities. Only 9 percent of the residents revealed the positive effect of home zones in increasing community relations. The main reason attributed for such was the increase in youth gangs that dominated the area. The second factor triggering home zone initiatives is the need for safer places where the children of the community can play. However, Kennington Road showed a declining interest in regards to the above cause for the increase in activities like youth vandalism and nuisance. The youths are reported to cause damage to trees, houses and in speeding heavily across the street. Thirdly, the promotion of the home zone concept was carried on with the motive of reducing crime in the area. It was held that social activities among people of encouraged would help reduce their tendency to crime. Though the case if Kennington Road does not reveal of any positive impact of home zone activities in reducing crime yet the residents state that improved street lighting helps in identifying the miscreants. In the fourth point the promotion of the home zone concept helped in generating an aesthetic sense in the minds of the residents. This in turn betters up their relation to the external environment. The Kennington Road case analyzed reveals that 63 percent of the residents felt that the roads had been beautified from the earlier times. They also felt satisfied with the planting of trees alongside the road. However, again the residents complained of the torture on the trees made by the vandals stating that it created a bad impression on the community area. The fifth and the final point focus on the paradigm of road safety as a primary factor behind the creation of home zones. Home zone features enabling the calming of vehicular traffic helps in encouraging social activities and a safer ground for children. The Kennington Road case however reveals a mixed perception of safe environments in a home zone area. Thirty five percent of the residents accepted the increased safety living in a home zone environment while 46 percent anticipated that safety paradigms have become much worse in home zone areas. Main reasons stated for were the increase in vandalism and thefts of cars and motorcycles. (Clayden, McKoy & Wild, 2006, pp. 61-65). Studies made on the necessity of open space in residential areas reveal that greater the amount of open space available greater is the demand for the residential area. In fact, availability of open space helps in the sale of residential properties. (Dunse, White & Dehring, 2007, p. 17). The commitment of the Government of the United Kingdom in regards to the cultivation of Home Zone projects has increased in a substantial manner. Legal enactment as regards to the Home Zone concept had been made in Section 268 of the 2000 Transportation Act. The act came into force on February 2001 and governed the areas of Wales and England. Regards to the Home Zone concept is also evident in the 2001 Transport (Scotland) Act, which came into force on January 2001. Hence it is evident from the above facts, that the law of the land has given due recognition to the Home Zone concept. Apart from giving Home Zones due legal recognition, the government of England has given financial assistance of 30 million pounds in regards to the schemes taken for building Home Zones. The government of England made the financial contribution from the Capital Modernization Fund aiming at increasing the pace for Home Zone development in the country. The home zones project was taken by the governments focusing on certain benefits, as it would help foster better pedestrian and cyclist movements and promoting a safer journey to schools for the localities’ children. Further, taking the home zone projects hinted also on a ‘traffic-calming’ practice by the government of the land, allowing vehicular movement at a speed of only 20 meters per hour. (Bidulph, 2001, pp.13-15) The future of home zone projects looks at regeneration of the inner areas of a region. However, such moves taken by government, faced obstacles from the communities dwelling in the region which they wanted to develop. This obstacle from the innermost communities of a region came along for they had a feeling of being misrepresented or underrepresented by the board targeting such developments. The urban regeneration models of the government face strategic challenges from getting an access to land and increased transformational issues on the other along high roads. Development of the environmental standards also comes to be the key focus of the government policies in the course of regeneration of the inner areas. The cause of aesthetics, safer environment and prevention of crime also were the primary focus of the government’s agenda behind urban regeneration projects. Further, the town planning in England targets environmental sustainability by promoting greater number of trees along the residential corners. Moreover, the development of ecological homes and the creation of open spaces are also some initiatives focused upon while taking the urban regeneration models. The creation of open spaces as per the Countryside Act of 1968 helped the community to participate in social activities in these regions. About 75 percent of the total funds required creating open spaces like parks. (Greed, 2004, pp. 138-139, 141) Conclusion The home zone concept is still a much newer concept in the context of United Kingdom. The population is slowly getting aware of the several amenities in regards to living in a community circle. Areas like the city center regions of places as Nottingham is reflecting a steady influx of population and growth of residential properties. The need for security, community life, safer areas for children are just a few to state of the reasons behind such shifts. However, care must be taken so that the residents are satisfied with their dwelling area. Developments along the line of expanding residential properties must be fully encouraged to shift to better homes. The factors such as urban regeneration with an eye to sustaining the ecological balance need to be fostered for better results. References 1. Clayden, A., McKoy, K. & A, Wild. (2006). Improving Residential Livability in the UK: Home Zones and Alternative Approaches. Journal of Urban Design. Vol. 11, issue 1, pp-55-71. Retrieved on October 7, 2010 from: http://content.ebscohost.com/pdf17_20/pdf/2006/URD/01Feb06/19778206.pdf?T=P&P=AN&K=19778206&S=R&D=aph&EbscoContent=dGJyMNLe80SeprU4zdnyOLCmr0iepq9Ss6%2B4TbGWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMPGstE%2BvqrJMuejjhe3q41Pj3u2L8gAA 2. Bidulph, M. (2010). Journal of the American Planning Association. Vol. 76, issue 2. Retrieved on October 7, 2010 from: http://content.ebscohost.com/pdf23_24/pdf/2010/APN/01Mar10/48795041.pdf?T=P&P=AN&K=48795041&S=R&D=aph&EbscoContent=dGJyMNLe80SeprU4zdnyOLCmr0ieprBSsae4TbWWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMPGstE%2BvqrJMuejjhe3q41Pj3u2L8gAA 3. Bidulph, M. (2001). Home Zones: a planning and design outlook. The Policy Press. 4. Greed, C. (2004). Introducing Planning. Continuum International Publishing Group 5. Dunse, N., White, M. & C. Dehring. (2007). Urban parks, open space and residential property values.RICS Research Paper Series. Vol. 7, issue 8. Retrieved on October 7, 2010 from: http://www.rics.org/site/download_feed.aspx?fileID=5728&fileExtension=PDF Read More