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Persistence of the socialist collective housing areas (KTTs): the evolution and contemporary transformation of mass housing in Hanoi, Vietnam

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Abstract

This study examined the spatial patterns and transformation of the socialist collective housing areas (KTTs). The areas experienced physical and functional changes with Hanoi’s urbanization after the country’s reforms. The KTTs were originally built on the outskirt of Hanoi during the 1960s–1980s. The development was influenced by the state-led mass housing model originated from the micro-district concept of the former Soviet Union. With the urban expansion of Hanoi, the KTTs have become situated in the city’s central area. The study attempted to analyze the location of Hanoi’s KTTs based on the distance from the inner-city area. The outcome of physical transformation, the use of spaces, housing prices, and conditions of the surrounding areas of the KTTs were investigated based on a resident survey of 240 households and field studies in six KTTs sites. Changes in the use of spaces on the ground-level, addition of self-extended structure from existing housing units, and wholesale redevelopment were observed from the field studies. The degree and pattern of changes were different by locational types. The KTTs located near the inner-city area with good accessibility was the most actively transformed. The study showed that the living conditions of the KTTs were influenced by the location as well as social and economic factors such as transitional living culture and an increase in the residents’ income. Furthermore, the study found that Hanoi’s KTTs play an essential role as adequate urban housing due to their locational advantages, the presence of an intimate community, and affordable housing prices.

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Notes

  1. The exchange rate in the study was 1 million VND = 43.12 USD (January 23, 2019).

  2. The Housing Price to Income Ratio (PIR) of the KTTs was calculated using the average housing prices of interviewed households and monthly average income per capita in Hanoi from the General Statistics Office of Vietnam (2018a).

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Acknowledgements

The study conducted the resident survey in collaboration with the National University of Civil Engineering and the National Institute of Architecture in Vietnam. The authors gratefully acknowledge the interviewees of local experts for the study: Mrs. Hoai Anh Tran (Malmö University), Mr. Tran Minh Tung (National University of Civil Engineering), Mr. Nguyen Huu Quan (Hanoi Urban Planning Institute), and Mrs. Nguyen Thuy Dung (National Institute of Architecture).

Funding

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) Grant funded by the Korea government (MSIP) (NRF-2017R1A1A1A05001205).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate Program in Urban Design, College of Engineering, Seoul National University, 39-518, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 151-742, Republic of Korea

    Nami Hong

  2. Department of Landscape Architecture, Urban Design Concentration, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Seoul National University, 82-410, 1 Gwanakro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 151-742, Republic of Korea

    Saehoon Kim

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Appendix: The results of the resident survey (September–December 2018)

Appendix: The results of the resident survey (September–December 2018)

See Tables 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22.

Table 5 The average floor area of housing units in six KTTs
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Table 6 The average housing area per capita in six KTTs
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Table 7 The ratio of housings expanded by residents in six KTTs
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Table 8 The ratio of housings with a separated toilet and a kitchen in six KTTs
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Table 9 Housing ownership of houses in six KTTs
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Table 10 Housing price of six KTTs (million VND)
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Table 11 Housing price per unit area of six KTTs (million VND/m2)
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Table 12 Monthly rent price of six KTTs (million VND)
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Table 13 Monthly rent price per unit area of six KTTs (million VND/m2)
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Table 14 Residency period in six KTTs (years)
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Table 15 Number of household members in six KTTs
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Table 16 The ratio of the government’s social housing subsidy beneficiary in six KTTs
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Table 17 The ratio of households doing business activities in the complex of six KTTs
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Table 18 Reasons for housing choice in six KTTs (sum of three priorities)
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Table 19 The average age of householders in six KTTs
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Table 20 The ratio of households having good community relationships with neighbors in six KTTs
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Table 21 The frequency of meeting neighbors for socializing in six KTTs
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Table 22 The ratio of households that have a voluntary community effort to improve the living environment in six KTTs
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Hong, N., Kim, S. Persistence of the socialist collective housing areas (KTTs): the evolution and contemporary transformation of mass housing in Hanoi, Vietnam. J Hous and the Built Environ 36, 601–625 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10901-020-09765-1

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