Urban settlement design, Seoul, Korea : a comparative study for low-income housing

Abstract

The study proposes an alternative design approach for urban dwelling environments of the low-income sectors in Seoul, Korea, based upon a comparative evaluation of the physical and socio-economic performance of the existing dwelling environments. Most existing settlements have significant problems in land utilization and circulation efficiency. Despite narrow streets, almost 30% of land is allotted for public circulation due to gridiron layouts having small blocks. The circulation area is little utilized or it is sometimes misutilized as semi-private and semi-public areas. In case of current walk-up apartment projects, the provision of unutilized open spaces results in a waste of land and services. Moreover, "instant" housing developments increase initial costs and discourage the utilization of individual resources . The focus of the study is on the provision of affordable and appropriate dwelling environments by minimizing initial costs and improving land utilization and circulation efficiency. The study proposes the maximization of private and semi-private land, the grid layout system and progressive housing development.