Economics for the Modern Built Environment

Economics for the Modern Built Environment
Author: Les Ruddock
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 294
Release: 2008-10-10
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1134051905

Recent decades have seen a major social and economic changes across the developed world and consequent changes in the construction and property industries. The discipline of construction economics needs to respond to this. For instance, the importance of sustainable development has become recognised, as has the need to increasingly master the mediu

Design Economics for the Built Environment

Design Economics for the Built Environment
Author: Herbert Robinson
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 432
Release: 2015-03-27
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 1118944860

The drive towards environmentally friendly buildings and infrastructure has led to a growing interest in providing design solutions underpinned by the core principles of sustainability to balance economic, social and environmental factors. Design Economics for the Built Environment: Impact of sustainability on project evaluation presents new directions, reflecting the need to recognise the impact of climate change and the importance of sustainability in project evaluation. The aim is to provide a new approach to understanding design economics in the context of the changing policy environment, legislative and regulatory framework, and increasing economic, environmental and social pressure as result of the sustainability agenda. The book follows a structured approach from theories and principles in the earlier chapters, to the practical applications and emerging techniques focusing on value and social, economic and environmental considerations in making design decisions. It starts with the policy context, building on various theories and principles such as, capital cost, value of design and resource-based theories, the new rules of measurement (NRM) to explore cost planning, the relationship between height and costs, key socio-economic and environmental variables for design appraisal, eco-cost/value ratio (EVR), whole life theory and the treatment of carbon emission as external costs, productivity and efficiency, fiscal drivers and legal framework for carbon reduction, procurement and allocation of risks in contracts. Case studies, practical examples and frameworks throughout reinforce theories and principles and relate them to current practice. The book is essential reading for postgraduate students in architecture, building and quantity surveying and is also a valuable resource for academics, consultants and policy-makers in the built environment.

Economics

Economics
Author: J.E. Manser
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 310
Release: 2003-09-02
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 1135826714

Making no assumption of your prior knowledge, Economics introduces the basics of economics as they relate to the built environment. Looking at the principles of microeconomics (markets, price mechanisms, resource allocation, theory of the firm, etc.), these principles are put into the context of construction firms and property markets. Lively, real-life case studies are built into the text to provide concrete examples of the theories being explained and macroeconomics are also covered. Key features of this easy-to-use book include: clear chapter structure tutorial questions linking the case histories to basic principles extracts from newspaper and journal articles to show the relevance of economics to the construction industry 100% construction orientation a useful bibliography, glossary of economic terms preview questions at the start of each chapter and exercises and discussion topics at the end to test your understanding. Economics will enable you to understand the working of economic forces as they relate to the construction industry.

Regeneration of the Built Environment from a Circular Economy Perspective

Regeneration of the Built Environment from a Circular Economy Perspective
Author: Stefano Della Torre
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 380
Release: 2019-12-30
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 303033256X

This open access book explores the strategic importance and advantages of adopting multidisciplinary and multiscalar approaches of inquiry and intervention with respect to the built environment, based on principles of sustainability and circular economy strategies. A series of key challenges are considered in depth from a multidisciplinary perspective, spanning engineering, architecture, and regional and urban economics. These challenges include strategies to relaunch socioeconomic development through regenerative processes, the regeneration of urban spaces from the perspective of resilience, the development and deployment of innovative products and processes in the construction sector in order to comply more fully with the principles of sustainability and circularity, and the development of multiscale approaches to enhance the performance of both the existing building stock and new buildings. The book offers a rich selection of conceptual, empirical, methodological, technical, and case study/project-based research. It will be of value for all who have an interest in regeneration of the built environment from a circular economy perspective.

Reconstructing Urban Economics

Reconstructing Urban Economics
Author: Franklin Obeng-Odoom
Publisher: Zed Books Ltd.
Total Pages: 231
Release: 2016-08-15
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1783606622

Neoclassical economics, the intellectual bedrock of modern capitalism, faces growing criticisms, as many of its key assumptions and policy prescriptions are systematically challenged. Yet, there remains one field of economics where these limitations continue virtually unchallenged: the study of cities and regions in built-environment economics. In this book, Franklin Obeng-Odoom draws on institutional, Georgist and Marxist economics to clearly but comprehensively show what the key issues are today in thinking about urban economics. In doing so, he demonstrates the widespread tensions and contradictions in the status quo, showing how to reconstruct urban economics in order to create a more just society and environment.

Governing by Design

Governing by Design
Author: Aggregate Architectural History Collaborative
Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Pre
Total Pages: 302
Release: 2012-04-29
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 0822977893

Governing by Design offers a unique perspective on twentieth-century architectural history. It disputes the primacy placed on individuals in the design and planning process and instead looks to the larger influences of politics, culture, economics, and globalization to uncover the roots of how our built environment evolves. In these chapters, historians offer their analysis on design as a vehicle for power and as a mediator of social currents. Power is defined through a variety of forms: modernization, obsolescence, technology, capital, ergonomics, biopolitics, and others. The chapters explore the diffusion of power through the establishment of norms and networks that frame human conduct, action, identity, and design. They follow design as it functions through the body, in the home, and at the state and international level. Overall, Aggregate views the intersection of architecture with the human need for what Foucault termed "governmentality"—societal rules, structures, repetition, and protocols—as a way to provide security and tame risk. Here, the conjunction of power and the power of design reinforces governmentality and infuses a sense of social permanence despite the exceedingly fluid nature of societies and the disintegration of cultural memory in the modern era.

The Economics of Property and Planning

The Economics of Property and Planning
Author: Graham Squires
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 220
Release: 2021-11-29
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1000481603

This book introduces the interlocking disciplines of property and planning to economic theory and practice. Unlike any other available textbook, The Economics of Property and Planning skilfully introduces the reader to the interplay between property and planning using an economic lens. As resources become scarce, there is a growing need for students to understand the principles of economics in property and planning, especially given the rapid social, environmental, technological, and political changes that are shaping places. The book begins with an outline of key economists and economic problems, then resources and scarcity, before examining macro- and microeconomic factors at play in property and planning. Furthermore, this book covers a variety of topics, including spatial and locational modelling, fiscal approaches to redistribution, regeneration and renewal, and transport and infrastructure financing. There is also a particular focus on contemporary issues such as climate change, environmental limits to economic growth, sustainability and resilience, and affordable housing. This book also introduces practical evaluation tools and appraisal, plus a look at property and planning with respect to macroeconomic objectives, policy, and new directions. With property and planning essential factors in economic thinking and doing, this book provides insight into what future places will look like in real terms and how they will be shaped by policy. Targeted disciplines for this book include Economics, Planning, Property, Construction, Geography, Environmental Management, Sustainability, Housing, Built Environment, Land Economy, Urban Studies, Regional Studies, and Public Policy.

The Meanings of the Built Environment

The Meanings of the Built Environment
Author: Federico Bellentani
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Total Pages: 197
Release: 2021-01-18
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 3110614812

This volume analyses the interpretation of the built environment by connecting analytical frames developed in the fields of semiotics and geography. It focuses on specific components of the built environment: monuments and memorials, as it is easily recognisable that they are erected to promote specific meanings in the public space. The volume concentrates on monuments and memorials in post-Soviet countries in Eastern Europe, with a focus on Estonia. Elites in post-Soviet countries have often used monuments to shape meanings reflecting the needs of post-Soviet culture and society. However, individuals can interpret monuments in ways that are different from those envisioned by their designers. In Estonia, the relocation and removal of Soviet monuments and the erection of new ones has often created political divisions and resulted in civil disorder. This book examines the potential gap between the designers’ expectations and the users’ interpretations of monuments and memorials. The main argument is that connecting semiotics and geography can provide an innovative framework to understand how monuments convey meanings and how these are variously interpreted at societal levels.

Placemaking Fundamentals for the Built Environment

Placemaking Fundamentals for the Built Environment
Author: Dominique Hes
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 326
Release: 2019-11-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9813296240

This book is for all those actively working in the built environment. It presents the latest theory and practice of engaging with stakeholders to co-design, develop and manage thriving places. It starts from the importance of integrating design of nature into practice built on a foundation of First Nations understanding of place. The art of engagement of community, government and the development industry is discussed with reference to case studies and best practice techniques. The book then focuses on the critical role placemaking has in supporting resilience and adaptability of communities and looks at issues of leadership and governance. Building on these steps for placemaking, the last parts of the book address economics, evaluation, digital and art based tools and approaches to support projects that aim to create an engaged, contributive, collaborative and active citizen.

The Economics of Construction

The Economics of Construction
Author: Stephen L. Gruneberg
Publisher: Economics of Big Business
Total Pages: 196
Release: 2019
Genre: BUSINESS & ECONOMICS
ISBN: 9781788210140

The construction of housing, commercial property, and infrastructure projects--roads, bridges, tunnels, railways, airports--for both the private and public sectors is one of the biggest industries in the world. It contributes around 10 per cent of world GDP, employs 7 per cent of the global workforce, and consumes around 20 per cent of the world's energy (and generates a third of the world's CO2 emissions). So important is the contruction industry that it is widely seen as the best indicator of a national economy's health. Stephen Gruneberg and Noble Francis, two of the UK's leading construction economists, present an up-to-date analysis of the construction industry's business model and the risks and challenges the industry faces in the twenty-first century. The book explores the many distinctive features of the economics of the industry, such as how firms use cost-reduction rather than profit maximizing behavior, the processes of tendering and procurement, and the often cyclical nature of demand. Some of the issues touched on include the nature of the government-client relationship, the difference between commissioned and speculative construction development, operating as well as building infrastructure, the advantages of off-site construction, the demand for green and sustainable construction, and the competition from government-backed Chinese companies in major infrastructure projects. As well as examining industry-wide issues, the book looks at how individual projects are costed. These can range from the construction of Dubai's Yas Island or Heathrow's third runway, to the construction of a local hospital, or a residential housing estate. Finance, cash flow, cost overruns, and labor relations are all shown to be fundamental to completing a project on time and within budget, regardless of size. The book offers authoritative analysis and expert insight to provide a survey suitable for students in both business schools and departments of architecture and the built environment.