Abstract
International research and practices are reviewed with regard to cultural, social, economic, health, and physical-technological features of needs, standards, and codes regulating the residential environment. Housing and building codes, as well as zoning and subdivision ordinances, are influenced by nonscientific considerations that have significant cost and other policy implications. Noxious and promotive influences are examined for public health codes regulating potable water, waste disposal, and safety in the home, as well as density and congestion for cities, neighborhoods, and individual dwelling units. Density is distinguished from congestion, and the policy implications of both are examined. Cost-benefit ratios indicate that many standards can be appreciably lowered. Vague definitions of health, as adopted by WHO, also invite costinducing moral judgments.
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Mitchell, R.E. Cultural and health influences on building, housing, and community standards: Cost implications for the human habitat. Hum Ecol 4, 297–330 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01557916
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01557916