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The purpose of this paper is to understand the barriers to housing development on brownfield land in the UK, making clear the distinction between market and institutional factors and identify appropriate public and private sector solutions to encourage more residential development.

In this research, the city of Nottingham in the East Midlands of England was chosen as the case study city. The research was based on secondary literature review of relevant local authority reports, Internet searches, consultancy documents and policy literature. Detailed case studies were undertaken of 30 sites in Nottingham which included a questionnaire survey of developers. Officials from Nottingham City Council assisted with the gathering of planning histories of the sites. The investigation took place in 2014.

Based on the evidence from Nottingham, the most frequently occurring significant constraint was poor market conditions. At the local level, it is clear that there are options that can be promoted to help reduce the level of friction in the market, to reduce delay and cost and, thus, to encourage developers to bring forward schemes when the market allows. Securing planning permission and agreeing the terms of a S106 agreement is recognised as a major development hurdle which requires time to achieve.

Market forces were clearly the dominant factor in hindering development on brownfield sites in Nottingham. The local authority should be more circumspect in the use of S106 agreements in market conditions where brownfield development is highly marginal. Imposing additional taxation on specific developments in weak markets discourages development and is counterproductive.

This detailed study of 30 development sites is significant in that it provides a better understanding of the barriers to residential development on brownfield land in the UK.

This paper aims to assess financial interoperability implications associated with first-time buyers (FTB) in housing development and the role of the community land trust shared equity housing model (CLT SEHM).

The interoperability optimisation process adopted by this study involved triangulated findings from the literature, semi-structured interviews and questionnaire surveys. The text analysis of interview responses was actualised with Nvivo 9.0. This process informed the validation of themes through a questionnaire survey (purposive sampling), of which findings were subsequently analysed with statistical methods including binary logistic regression to validate interoperability rational and implications.

The study identified positive financial interoperability outcomes for a successful synergy between the CLT SEHM and FTBs. From the analysis, there were sustainable results for average income multiple and property transfer/resale value for the CLT SEHM compared to conventional models. However, for the most at risk FTB groups, recommendations included increased concessions for CLT SEHM developments to incentivise bespoke rent purchase hybrid schemes.

This research provided a good starting point for achieving an improved level of efficiency necessary for the introduction of emerging/renewed alternative housing models into mainstream operational capabilities in housing and local development policies.

The purpose of this paper is to describe a tool (the Climate Challenge Tool) that allows house builders to calculate whole life carbon equivalent emissions and costs of various carbon and energy reduction options that can be incorporated into the design of new developments.

The tool covers technical and soft (or lifestyle) measures for reducing carbon production and energy use. Energy used within the home, energy embodied in the building materials, and emissions generated through transport, food consumption and waste treatment are taken into account. The tool has been used to assess the potential and cost‐effectiveness of various carbon reduction options for a proposed new housing development in Cambridgeshire. These are compared with carbon emissions from a typical UK household.

The tool demonstrated that carbon emission reductions can be achieved at much lower costs through an approach which enables sustainable lifestyles than through an approach which focuses purely on reducing heat lost through the fabric of the building and from improving the heating and lighting systems.

The tool will enable house builders to evaluate which are the most cost‐effective measures that they can incorporate into the design of new developments in order to achieve the significant energy savings and reduction in carbon emissions necessary to meet UK Government targets and to avoid dangerous climate change.

Current approaches to assessing carbon and energy reduction options for new housing developments concentrate on energy efficiency options such as reducing heat lost through the fabric of the building and improving the heating and lighting systems, alongside renewable energy systems. The Climate Challenge Tool expands the range of options that might be considered by developers to include those affecting lifestyle choices of future residents.

This paper seeks to report the findings of a research project that observed and monitored the performance of a four‐year strategic partnering agreement between a consortium of Registered Social Landlords (AMPHION) and their contracting partner as they procured approximately 800 new houses, across 33 separate development projects.

The research project used a combination of in‐depth case studies (of individual housing projects and the relationship between the client group and their main contractor) supplemented by quantitative measures of project performance (Key Performance Indicators) and integrated workshops to study the operational factors that affected the success of the partnering initiative.

The paper concludes that failures to manage expectations within and between partners undermined confidence and trust in the partnering process.

Whilst strategic partnering within the UK social housing sector was immature at the time of the study, the lessons learned have implications for other organisations considering strategic partnering relationships.

Evidence is provided from a long‐term study of strategic partnering which explores the dynamic nature of strategic partnering and its impact on success. Very few studies have addressed this issue.

Although a UK trajectory toward zero-carbon development for all new housing by 2016 has been set, the cost of building such homes and the changes implied for current constructional culture, together with lack of fiscal incentives, makes the target very difficult to achieve. Moreover, the recent governmental clarification of the definition of zero-carbon housing may make it impossible. This paper proposes a prototype construction (see also the associated paper in this issue) and examines in detail both the constructional and cost barriers to eliminating carbon emissions from tightly limited total thermal and electrical consumption targets (not more than 70 kWh/m2). Having established generous access to sunlight and daylight as prerequisites, a related health issue is air quality, especially with air-tight construction. While thermal and hygroscopic capacity can mediate between quality and efficiency, current norms for Scottish housing are notably poor in both respects. A key aim is to assess whether specification for a ‘low-carbon house’ can be cost effective. An analysis is undertaken to asses the increased cost associated with integration of energy efficient measures in the proposed prototype model. The specification of the building envelope and associated renewable technologies are addressed with reference to their cost implication on the overall build cost. Finally potential governmental incentives are proposed to not only meet the 2016 target, but also to promote enthusiasm by the end user. The paper concludes that low-carbon and zero-carbon scenarios would require radical changes of funding/fiscal and building cultures.

States that although inclusions my be complex and challenging, sometimes characterized by both ambiguity and a lack of rigour, it is usually used to cover other differing facets. Uses housing as an example of a central issue for the modern family and its lifestyle hopes. Discusses gated residential areas as small but growing features with perhaps a privileged status in many people’s views. Concludes that the public sector may wish to keep a weather eye on gated residential developments in the future.

This paper aims to explore the relationship between market pricing and design quality within the development industry. Currently, there is a lack of research that examines real estate at the property level. Development quality is widely believed to have diminished over the past decades, while many investors seem uninterested in the design process. The study aims to address these issues through a pricing model that integrates design attributes. It is hoped that empirical findings will invite broader stakeholder interest in the design process.

The research establishes a framework for assessing spatial compliance across residential developments within London. Compliance is assessed across ten boroughs, with technical space guidelines used as a proxy for design quality. Transaction prices and spatial assessments are aligned within a hedonic pricing model. Empirical findings are used to establish whether undermining spatial standards presents a significant development risk.

Findings suggest a relationship between sale time and unit size, with “compliant” units typically transacting earlier than “non-compliant” units. Almost half of the 1,600 apartments surveyed appear to undermine technical guidelines.

It is suggested that an array of design attributes be explored that extend beyond unit size. Additionally, future studies may consider the long-term implications of design quality via secondary transaction prices.

Practical implications include the development of a more scientific approach to design valuation. This may enhance the position of product design management within the development industry and architectural services.

Social implications may include improvement in residential design.

An innovative approach combines a thorough understanding of both design and economic principles.

The Japanese prefabrication industry not only has automated its processes to a high extent, but it also innovates due to the fact that it delivers buildings of outstanding quality accompanied by a multitude of services. In order to explore and specify the concepts and parameters that have driven this industry, Japan's prefabrication industry, its cultural, economic and technological surrounding, as well as the applied processes, technologies and economic strategies, have to be illustrated and analysed. The purpose of this paper is to identify, describe and analyse these concepts and their related parameters, as well as to recognise the most influential drivers for the future that provide an indication into which direction the industry could evolve.

Being aware that literature does not provide relevant information and data, which would allow the authors to explore concepts and parameters explaining the success of the Japanese prefabrication industry, the authors performed field surveys, visited factories, R&D centres and sales points of all major Japanese prefabrication companies. In some cases the authors also interviewed general managers, researchers and developers, and academicians at Japanese universities. Based on an extensive literature review in the area of product development, production technology, modularisation, mass customisation, and innovation, the authors qualitatively and quantitatively analysed all major prefabrication companies according to a fixed scheme.

The concepts and parameters identified and analysed in this paper demonstrate that the Japanese prefabrication industry, which is leading in large‐scale industrialization, nowadays focuses towards services that are related to the building's utilisation phase, rather than delivering products. By involving customers it enhances the companies' customer relations, thus creating competitive advantages.

Overall the paper identifies that Japanese prefabrication industry acts rather like a “production industry” than a “construction industry”. Similar to many other high‐tech industries, Japan's prefabrication industry incorporates the latest product and process technologies and combines automation, products and services into complex value‐capturing systems.