Impact of Four Physical Design Factors on Mixed-Income Housing

Abstract

The goal of this study was to survey the impact of design factors upon a mixed percentage of subsidized and market rate units. After content analysis of research, four physical factors, including unit number, site area, density, and house type, were extracted, and correlation analysis was performed between these factors and the percentage of subsidized units in 45 available mixed-income projects in the United States, Canada, and England. Next, we used frequency and crosstab to obtain the effects of the factors on the percentage of the subsidized units in three income levels (low, medium, and high). Findings indicated that when unit number and site area increase, the percentage of subsidized unit decreases, and the increase of density increases the percentage of subsidized units. Moreover, in large-scale projects, it is necessary to use lower density, and as a result, low-rise houses, while in small-scale projects, different types of houses can be used. Findings of the study clearly indicate that in designing and planning the mixed-income projects, we need to attend to physical factors as well as the cultural–social ones.