In searching for related topics to my area of study, I stumbled upon this blog, http://kittnova.com/2010/04/29/container-living/.
Affordable housing is a vast topic, therefore I am trying to narrow it down to how affordable housing is utilized in Amsterdam, as well as how certain crime affects the nature of the built environment. In other words, how are the ordered patterning of entrances, exits, and overall traffic through buildings effected by affordable housing pressures? Also, does this ordering have any affect from particularly common crimes in their location? As a hypothetical example, it may be possible that burglarizing is more common among particular designs of dense urban housing; changing the human traffic flow in and out of the building may decrease crime.
In this case, sea containers are reused as temporary housing units for students. The use of this space serves one general purpose to many individuals. The courtyard in front, for instance, demonstrates the common need for a bicycle parking space. From the post, however, it is evident that there was not much free space within the living quarters. As (again) temporary housing, this is less of an issue because the inhabitants do not expect to live there for extended periods of time. This is an interesting alternative to affordable housing in that materials were recycled for a completely new use, yet does not qualify as an example that would be erected elsewhere. Norms from socially constructed spaces demonstrate the necessities of the particular group inhabiting a certain area. For instance, the normal place to put one’s bicycle for the night with the hundreds of others outside the building. Had there been no open space for them, a different norm of how to manage one’s bicycle would be developed.
My focus then turned toward blogs that had information about crime in Amsterdam. Because this is for my own curiosity, I’m well aware that any facts or figures presented my be bias. Also, prostitution is more heavily reported than anything else – yet is not the type of deviance I wish to study in Amsterdam. Rather, petty crime that exists within particular communities would be ideal. My search for any blog similar to that topic came up with very few related results, leading my to believe my idea of crime must not completely match up with what actually exists.
