HOUSING ACCESSIBILITY: THE ROLE AND PERSPECTIVE OF DEVELOPERS IN PHILADELPHIA

This study focuses on how real estate developers in Philadelphia view their responsibility to build housing units that are accessible to people living with disabilities. It relies on data collected by interviewing major developers who build several different types of housing, including high-end condominiums, university residential housing, mid-price townhouses, loft conversions, rehabilitation of historic properties, and affordable housing projects. The researcher finds that developers possess only limited knowledge about accessibility requirements. They do not regard people with disabilities as a submarket of consumers to whom they could sell their units. Interestingly, virtually all of them cited a family member or close friend with a significant disability, creating both awareness and an emotional connection to disability issues. Yet such personal connections did not necessarily prompt them to voluntarily add accessible features to their housing units. Instead, the developers acknowledged that government regulations are the spur that can oblige them to build more accessible housing. Surprisingly, they expressed less antagonism toward such regulations than the researcher expected. In general, their view was that if such regulations force all developers in the greater Philadelphia market to incorporate accessible features and costs into their developments, then their individual firms will not be placed at a competitive disadvantage in the marketplace.

Grantor dc:publisher

Temple University. Libraries

Year dc:date.issued

2010

Author dc:creator

• Winheld, Joshua A.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Adams, Carolyn Teich

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Bartelt, David
• Dorn, Michael Leverett, 1966-

• Urban and Regional Planning
• Architectural Engineering

Statement dc:rights

• IN COPYRIGHT- This Rights Statement can be used for an Item that is in copyright. Using this statement implies that the organization making this Item available has determined that the Item is in copyright and either is the rights-holder, has obtained permission from the rights-holder(s) to make their Work(s) available, or makes the Item available under an exception or limitation to copyright (including Fair Use) that entitles it to make the Item available.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Dc Identifier Other

864884794

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarshare.temple.edu:20.500.12613/3835