PNH610S - PLANNING FOR HOUSING - 1ST OPP - JUNE 2023


PNH610S - PLANNING FOR HOUSING - 1ST OPP - JUNE 2023



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nAmlBIA UnlVERSITY
OF SCIEnCE AnD TECHnOLOGY
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE, PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION
QUALIFICATION: BACHELOR OF TOWN AND REGIONAL PLANNING
QUALIFICATION CODE: 07BTAR
NQF LEVEL: 6
COURSE CODE: PNH610S
COURSE NAME: PLANNING FOR HOUSING
Dt\\TE: JUNE 2023
PAPER: THEORY
DURATION: 3 HOURS
MARl(S: 100
EXAMINER(S)
MODERATOR
FIRST OPPORTUNITY EXAMINATION QUESTION PAPER
Ms. GB van Rooi
Mr. J Korrubel
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Answer ALL the questions.
2. Read all the questions carefully before answering.
3. Number the answers clearly and legibly
THIS QUESTION PAPER CONSISTS OF 5 PAGES (Including this front page)

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Planning for Housing
PNH610S
Question 1
Principle thirteen of the Charter for New Urbanism states: "Within neighbourhoods, a broad
range of housing types and price levels can bring people of diverse ages, races, and incomes
into daily interaction, strengthening the personal and civic bonds essential to an authentic
community."
(a) In what way then would you as an urban planner design the Burgershoek and Volstruis
Vlakte townships to ensure diversity in terms of housing typologies and mixed income
communities?
(7)
(b) Provide an indication of at least three housing typologies that would be suitable for the
Burgershoek and Volstruisvlakte townships
(3)
[10]
Question 2
The purpose of structure plans is to provide guidelines for future development which will be of value
to the local authority and to the public. It establishes a framework for consistent and rational
decision making.
(a) Explain why it is imperative that any Local Authority ought to situate its housing programmes
within the scope of such plan.
(5)
(b) Provide facts to support the importance of the Town Planning/ Zoning Scheme within any
housing provision programme or projects.
(5)
[10]
Question 3
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights formulated the "Right to Adequate
Housing" which contains seven principles/guidelines that must be applied in housing programmes to
ensure its adequacy.
(a) Deliver a set of recommendations based on the Adequate Housing principles/guidelines
that could form the basis for the formulation of an Informal Settlement Upgrading Strategy
for the Rehoboth Town Council.
(7)
(b) The Rehoboth Town Council have tasked you as an urban and regional planner to revise
the Adequate Housing Principles to ensure that it reflects the Namibian context.
Provide at least three additional principles/guidelines that would ensure this directive is
met.
(3)
[10]
First Opportunity Question Paper
Page 2 of 5
June 2023

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Planning for Housing
PNH610S
Question 4
The Namibian Constitution does not directly provide for the protection of housing rights. There are
however provisions therein that seemingly compel the Namibian government to ensure adequate
housing for all Namibians.
(a) Provide an overview of the constitutional directives that could ensure adequate housing
for Namibians.
(5)
The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR)s, tates that forced evictions are
"prima facie incompatible" with the Right to Adequate Housing and other provisions in the
Covenant. There are however instances that leaves property owners or local authorities no option
but to argue in favour of eviction.
{b) Indicate in which circumstances eviction would be justified?
(5)
[10]
Question 5
The U.S. experienced a major housing bubble in the 2000s caused by manipulated demand,
speculation, unusually high levels of investment, excess liquidity and a deregulated real estate
financing market which caused home prices to become unsustainable.
(a) Provide an overview of what a Housing Bubble is.
(5)
The housing market in Namibia might not have seen the full formation of a Housing Bubble but the
housing demand/supply mismatch in this country are creating an equally dire situation, especially in
the Namibian urban settlements.
(b) Discuss the consequence of this mismatch.
(5)
[10]
Question 6
(a)
How would you as an urban planner undertake an in situ informal settlement upgrade? (4)
{b)
Provide justification for a Participatory Informal Settlement Upgrading Approach.
(6)
[10]
First Opportunity Question Paper
Page 3 of 5
June 2023

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Planning for Housing
PNH610S
Question 7
The goal of the Mass Housing Programme is to cause the construction of 185 000 housing units by the
year 2030.
(a) Would the pursuit of this quantitative goal ensure that adequate housing is delivered?
(2)
(b) Provide a critical discussion on the degree to which the National Housing Enterprise (NHE)
has met the objectives set out for the institution through its foundational legislation, the
National Housing Enterprise Act, Act No. 5 of 1993.
(5)
The National Housing Policy contains several strategies that guides the provision of housing.
As an urban planner employed by the NHE, you are tasked to arrange a workshop where
you would convey your knowledge about these strategies in a presentation.
(c) Provide an overview of what you would convey in this presentation.
(3)
[10]
Question 8
Namibian media recently been reported that 50 000 houses must be built per annum to ensure the
housing backlog is addressed. As sustainability is also a growing concern, this call for increased
housing delivery provides an ideal opportunity for the introduction of 'Green Building' regulations.
(a) What would justify the change of the Building Regulations to ensure the construction of
these houses are considered 'green' (environmentally sustainable)?
(8)
(b) Why do you think the inclusion of at green building principles in the Public Housing
Programmes are not actively pursued?
(2)
[10]
Question 9
Urban Sprawl is a grave concern as it contributes to inefficient and unsustainable urban systems.
Current Urban Planning discourse actively promotes densification of cities to address the
aforementioned challenge. Densification can also significantly aide addressing the housing backlog.
(a) State why your profession is of the belief that the pursuit of denser cities is justified?
(2)
(b) Use the Cape Town Densification Strategy as a Best Practice Case Study to inform the City
of Windhoek's Urban Policy Planning Division on how to ensure incremental densification in
the Olympia Township?
(6)
First Opportunity Question Paper
Page 4 of 5
June 2023

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Planning for Housing
PNH610S
Despite the advantages of densification with respect to an increased output of erven and or housing
units; the community of Burgershoek and Volstruis Vlakte were opposed to this concept.
(c) Why do you think that is the case?
(2)
[10]
Question 10
INCOMEGROUPDESIGNATION
2009/10 NamibianHouseholdIncomeand ExpenditureSurvey
(NHIES)
2015/16 NHIES
Income
Deciles
% of overallPopulation
1-10
15.9
ULTRA-LOW
11-20 B.S
(Monthly household income range
21-30
12.3 62.4
N$ 0-5,00-0)
31-40
11
87.5
41-S0
9.7
LOW
(Monthly household income range
N$ S,000-10,000)
51-60
61-70
71-60
8.8
8.3
2S.1
s
MIDDLE
61-90
6.6
(Monthlyhouseholdincomerange
NS 10,000-20,000)
91-9S
3.2
HIGH
(Monthlyhousehold incomerange S6-98
NS 20,000-40,000)
ULTRAHIGH
(Monthlyhouseholdincomeabove 9!1-100
NS 40,000)
9.8
1.7
1.1
Average
Househ
old Site
7.5
6.4
5.8
S.2
4.6
4.2
3.9
3.8
Average
Monthly
Household
Income
(N$)
1,308
1,811
2,167
2,520
2,873
3,434
l.,276
6,063
Average
Monthly
Household
Income
(N$)
1,541
Housing
Affordability
(max. 30'¼of
inrome} (N$)
463
2,565
770
3,222
967
4,004
1,201
4,518
J,3S6
5,441
1,631
6,8S7
1,057
8,250
2,47S
A/fordable
Loan(l.S"
interest I 20
years}(N$)
57,470
95,580
120,040
149,080
168,320
201,580
255,340
307,230
3.1
8,473
11,936
3,581
444,520
3
14,832
17,882
S,36S
665,970
2.7
24,756
29,S89
S,877
1,101,920
2.5
47,758
67,337
10,201
1,507,590
Table 1
Evaluate the statistics in Figure 1 and indicate how that would influence your township layout design
as well as the zonings and densities you would assign to the erven on your new township or
townships.
Thus, indicate what are the most probable erf sizes, zoning and densities that you would plan for in a
townships design and establishment for those in all of the income brackets in Table 1.
[10]
TOTAL= 100
First Opportunity Question Paper
Page 5 of 5
June 2023