Does the tender,auction and listing system in land promote higher housing prices in China?

Using monthly data on national housing prices from July 1998 to June 2015, we investigate the effect of the ‘Tender, Auction and Listing’ (hereafter TAL) system on housing prices in land, implemented on 31 August 2004. We apply the additional polynomial regression discontinuity method which effectively eliminates the effects of several confounding factors such as financial crisis, ‘New National Ten Provisions’ and ‘9.30 New Regime’. We find that, although the TAL has caused the national average housing prices to go up by 10%, accounting for 11% of total increase in housing prices in the last year, it does not constitute the major driver for housing prices. Furthermore, our results indicate that TAL has exerted a larger impact on commercial and residential properties, especially in the middle and west regions. By examining the transmission mechanisms, we find that the effects of TAL are mainly via government’s starvation-style land supply effect and market-reshuffling effect.     

Privileging the “Objective”: Understanding the State’s Role in Shaping Housing Aspirations

This paper is to be read as one half of a twofold analysis of recent qualitative research on the housing aspirations of the people of Scotland, focusing specifically on the dimension of housing tenure. Moving beyond individual subjective preferences (i.e. what people “consciously” want or desire in relation to housing), this paper draws influence from David Harvey’s historical materialist approach to illustrate the importance of understanding the dialectical relation between objective reality and subjective preferences. We argue that it is by examining the broad homologies between the qualitative data on one hand, and the corresponding epochs of capital accumulation on the other, that important power structures can be made visible, and changes in housing aspirations over time better understood.     

The Concept of Subjective Well-being in Housing Research

The aim of this article is to review the ways in which subjective well-being has been conceptualized within housing research, with a view to evaluating the use of the concept, the insights it has generated, the problems that have been experienced and the possible range of lessons that might be taken forward. The article begins with an analysis of the reasons why subjective well-being has become popular as a conceptual tool in many fields. The article continues with a discussion of the range of definitions that appear in the literature which leads into discussions of the research techniques and methodologies that have been used in empirical research. Empirical studies which focussed on the impact of physical housing conditions and tenure on subjective well-being are reviewed in order to evaluate what is known about the impact of housing on both personal and collective subjective well-being. This review highlights issues of status, reference groups and adaptation that are important insights from the subjective well-being approach that should set the agenda for further research in this area. The conclusion is that the relationship between housing and subjective well-being is a complex one that repays further study in order to understand the rich texture of the role of housing in people’s lives. The article concludes with suggestions for both conceptual and methodological approaches and the focus of future research.     

Housing Migrant Workers in Rapidly Urbanizing Regions: A Study of the Chinese Model in Shenzhen

China has experienced a huge wave of rural to urban migration over the last 25 years; however, Chinese cities do not have the large-scale slum settlements found in other developing countries. Has China found a new way to solve the housing problems of migrants and the urban poor? This paper addresses this question and reports the findings of a recent research project carried out in Shenzhen City. In general, Chinese migrants are poor in comparison with official urban residents. The majority of them live in shared rooms or small apartments in the so-called urban villages. Housing poverty, especially overcrowding, is a serious problem. This paper also highlights the positive contributions made by urban villages and private landlords in housing the large number of migrants in cities.     

Urban Real Estate in Ghana: A Study of Housing-related Remittances from Australia

A combination of rapid population growth and low incomes results in housing shortages in Ghana. Migration to Europe, America and Scandinavia has provided a way for some Ghanaians to escape this housing problem, as they take advantage of salaries there in order to save and build houses much quicker back home. This study of Ghanaian migrants in Sydney shows that by keeping at two or more jobs and saving about 33 per cent of their incomes, they are able to build houses worth US$100 000 in Ghana within 3–6 years. How these Ghanaians acquire land, how they build and their experiences after completing their houses provide clues on how to improve housing policy in Ghana.     

对国内现行控规容积率科学性的探讨

结合《中华人民共和国城乡规划法》,介绍了＂容积率＂的实用性和重要性,阐述了国内现行控规容积率在科学性上的缺陷,并引用了国外相关案例进行研究,提出了关于增强我国控规中容积率科学性的建议。     

缺水型城市水资源利用探讨

我国水资源不仅贫乏,而且污染严重。据统计,全国700多座城市中有近400座城市缺水或严重缺水,其中大部分集中在我国北方及西北干旱、半干旱地区。为解决水资源短缺问题,开发非常规水资源利用方法成为一条重要途径。因此本文以保定电谷(中国保定国家高新技术产业开发区)的水资源利用规划为例,对缺水型城市水资源利用进行探讨。     

Mortgage interest deductibility and homeownership in the Netherlands

This paper considers the growing amount of mortgage interest paid in the Netherlands against the background of its full fiscal deductibility, increasing homeownership rates, innovation in the mortgage market, and changes in the Dutch income tax system. Its main conclusion is that arguments in favor of fiscal deductibility are weak. Since the deductibility puts pressure on the income tax base, it is likely that sooner or later the facility must be limited or abandoned.

21世纪棉纺织工业发展的构思

从 2 1世纪世界人口的快速增长对纺织原料结构带来的变化入手 ,提出了化学纤维将逐步取代天然纤维的思路 ;另外 ,纺织机械借助电子计算机等微电子技术 ,可实现短流程、高速、高效、高质量及高度自动化的生产工艺流程 ,在节能降耗、减少噪声及进一步减少用工上会有很大的发展 ;同时针对纺织工业目前人才短缺及人才外流现象 ,提出了应加强培训、抓好基础教育、利用高校科研队伍等措施。建议 2 1世纪前 2 0年纺织工业应加强对纺织原料的开发应用 ,同时注意在纺织机械智能化及自动化的技术进步、环境保护及降低能耗上要加快前进的步伐。