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Which urban form factor most affects household electricity consumption? This study investigated the relationships between urban density, community layout, and land use factors and household electricity consumption simultaneously, along with building characteristics and demographic indicators. The study site involved 231 communities located in the former provincial area of Tainan City, Taiwan. Due to the area’s subtropical climate, air conditioning accounts for approximately 40% of the total yearly household electricity consumption. Of the urban form factors examined, greater population density was most strongly associated with lower household electricity consumption, followed respectively by greater urban canyon narrowness, or higher height to width ratios, and greater percentages of vacant space and building land use. Notably, both urban canyons and building land use percentages were associated with decreased consumption only after increasing past threshold levels, specifically a 1.5 height to width ratio and 40.7%, respectively. In addition, building characteristics, namely smaller household living areas and greater building age, were most strongly connected with lower household electricity consumption. In contrast, larger household living areas were linked with decreased household electricity consumption/floor area, revealing the importance of lower energy intensities of sizable scales. Of the demographic indicators studied, higher percentages of older adults were associated with lower household electricity consumption. Concerning urban form, the findings suggest that to reduce residential energy usage in a subtropical climate, buildings should be clustered to maximize the inter-building shadows resulting from narrower urban canyons, while simultaneously increasing non-built land use percentages in the adjacent areas.

Abstract:Outdoor environment can have significant connections with place relationships. This study tried to explore the connection in detail. First, the relationship was examined through an integrated view of environmental planning, followed by reviewing impacts of essential elements from the outdoor environment on place relationships. Residents of three public housing communities in Taiwan were surveyed. Each community had a different layout: alley, cluster, and large courtyard. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that outdoor community planning features can be grouped into four factors: outdoor space quality, circulation planning, outdoor recreational facilities, and community layout. Canonical correlation analyses indicate different combinations of these factors were connected to diverse combinations of place relationship dimensions. More importantly, higher levels of satisfaction toward outdoor space quality as well as community layout were associated with greater place attachment and less community participation. Higher levels of satisfaction with circulation planning were connected to greater place attachment and community participation, and less social interaction. Multiple regression analyses found the associations between the community planning features and place relationship dimensions differed among the alley, cluster, and large courtyard. These findings can help planners and architects design public housing and similar communities that better enhance the emotional and social experiences of the inhabitants.

Mobility barriers can impede physical activity, increase the fear of falling, and pose a threat to the ability of older adults to live independently. This study investigated outdoor mobility barriers within a nonretirement public housing community located in Tainan, Taiwan. Site observations and interviews with older adult residents determined that parked motor scooters, potted plants, the rubber tiles of play areas, and a set of steps were the most important barriers. In addition, the space syntax parameters of control value and mean depth were effectively able to quantitatively measure improvements in walkability resulting from the hypothesized removal of these four barriers. These measures of improved walkability can be included in a cost-benefit analysis of spatial improvement factors to help policymakers address the mobility and accessibility needs of older adults.