PurposeHousing costs are very high in Yemen compared with Middle East countries, which caused a shortage of housing supply especially for low‐income groups. This paper aims to develop affordable housing design for people with low income and to examine their ability to afford houses in Sana'a, Yemen.Design/methodology/approachTwo different questionnaires were used to achieve the study objectives. The first one was to examine the requirements and needs of low‐income groups, while the second was to analyze the feedback of professionals in relevant housing authorities in Sana'a. An affordable house design methodology was used to design alternatives of low‐income housing in order to minimize cost and environmental impact while maximizing the social acceptability in housing projects.FindingsThe results show that the low‐income group can afford new houses in Sana'a in consideration of the following: constructing multi‐storey housing units such as apartment system through using the concrete frame structure and building the internal and external walls with concrete blocks with limited areas (65‐120) square meters.Originality/valueThe findings could be used to improve housing affordability through housing policies in Yemen in order to decrease the housing shortage particularly for the low‐income group.

Loss of natural habitat and increased use of man-made materials have led to higher temperatures in tropical urban landscape. One way to handle this issue is by using paving materials that absorb less amount of heat and provide lower surface temperatures. This paper identifies several pavement materials with low surface temperatures for potential use in a tropical climate. The study was conducted in Putrajaya, Malaysia. Paving materials selected were Blue Impala polished granite (BIPG), Rosa Tanggo polished granite (RTPG), Fontana concrete (FC), and asphalt (AS) based on their popularity of use locally. Surface temperatures of these materials were measured using infrared thermal imaging camera in three different environments namely open space (OS), near water (NW), and under shade (US). The readings were recorded for 28 consecutive days from 6:00 to 24:00. Results indicate that BIPG was 15.5 °C cooler than AS during 12:00-15:00 in OS locations. However, BIPG and RTPG surface temperatures increased in NW locations as compared to OS and US locations from 12:00 to 18:00. This study provides information on the use of suitable paving materials to reduce surface temperatures of urban areas in tropical climates.

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors that cause housing shortage for lowincome groups in Yemen and recommend some solutions to alleviate the problem. Design/methodology/approach -A questionnaire survey has been used as the tool to carry out this study. The first part of the questionnaire consisted of three groups namely: economic, administrative, and legal factors. The second part consists of suggestions on housing supply, construction methods, and materials used for low-cost housing in Yemen. The level of importance of the categories was measured and the relative importance of weightage was ranked. Findings -The results show that the most important economic factors causing housing shortage were poor handling of available economic resources and shortage of economic resources. The most important administrative factors causing housing shortage were lack of organization and synchronization and not conducting studies on housing. The most important legal factor causing housing shortage was lack of legalization of housing. Originality/value -The findings could be used to improve housing policies and strategy in Yemen in order to decrease the housing shortage, particularly for the low-income group.

The South Pars Special Economic Energy Zone (SPSEEZ) is the largest petroleum zone in Iran and the second biggest gas producer in the world. It is now one of the world's most important eco-industrial poles. Despite the rapid development and activists' calls to sustainable path, there is little systematic effort in the assessment of industrial zones sustainability in developing countries. Iran, a nation that has ratified the Rio Declaration pact, has moved forward in order to achieve sustainable development. There have always been controversial debates due to its success. This paper employs survey, interview as well as observation to explore the perception of people on planning and sustainable development efforts and to identify the most important challenges at SPSEEZ. The result shows that the major impediment against sustainability is the lack of involvement from urban planners and the public during decision-making process. Finally, the paper contributes to the identification of the most urgent problems in SPSEEZ and the functions of different stakeholders as a reference for better sustainable development planning.

PurposeThe cost of housing is very high in Yemen compared with Middle East countries, which has caused a shortage of housing supply, especially for the low‐income group. The purpose of this paper is to identify factors that are significantly influencing housing cost in Yemen.Design/methodology/approachThe study surveyed 60 professionals in housing in Yemen, to identify factors influencing housing cost that are related to land, materials used, construction methods used, finishing works, and other factors/related issues. The questionnaire survey instrument consisted of 32 factors, which were grouped into these five categories. The level of importance was measured and the relative importance of weightage was ranked for all five categories.FindingsThis study found that cost of project land, cost of cement and steel for reinforced concrete are the most significant factors influencing housing cost in Yemen.Originality/valueBased on the analysis of the ranking and intensity of housing cost factors, this paper further suggests possible improvements for decreasing the housing cost in Yemen. These recommendations are hoped to increase more regulated housing development and housing policy.