tifying characteristics of the country concerned."
It added: "The needs of the com- munity should be taken into full con- sideration by the authorities and de- signers. To this end, appropriate dir- ect contacts between the planners and the people are essential."
The delegates had also some sug- gestions to make on public utilities. and the expansion of architectural schools.
Public utilities and other infra- structure works constitute a very im- portant and costly factor in any hous- ing scheme, and the location and de sign of housing schemes must reco- gnise this factor while the standards should be related to the Afro-Asian context, they recommended.
They urged that Afro-Asian coun- tries should develop comprehensive training in housing in conjunction with, and expansion of, already exist- ing schools of architecture and plan- ning. Where these do not yet exist. efforts should be made to start them, they said.
In the third and final section of its recommendations, the congress touch- ed on the social, economic and legis- lative policy aspects of housing.
Mindful of the Singapore Govern- ment's practice of selling flats built by the Housing and Development Board to tenants on an easy payment plan, extending up to 15 years, the congress recommended that private
ownership for low and medium cost housing should be encouraged by providing appropriate facilities,
Management committees should be formed by the owners to carry out maintenance and repair work in every community, thus relieving the government from that task. The capital obtained from apartment sell- ing should be rotated to finance new development.
Land Price Control
In recommending that land use should be regulated by governments to control land prices and prevent land speculation and monopoly, the congress was advocating a practice which is already in force in Singapore under the law of land acquisition.
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"Appropriate agencies could established to undertake responsibili- ties to ensure the provision of land to the people at reasonable prices," said the congress.
While in Singapore, delegates were shown the major housing estates of the Housing and Development Board. The efficient manner in which they were run has led them to think also in terms of housing management.
Their recommendation on this aspect was:
"Considering the importance of public housing as a social service, es- pecially in the developing countries in Afro-Asia, it is essential that housing
estates he managed by skilled and qualified housing managers, so that the economic, social, technical and large aspects are given full consideration.
"It is essential that in large hous- ing estates, the decentralised system of housing management which is most appropriate should be adopted." Two other recommendations touch- ed on design:
"Housing schemes should incor- porate study of design and stand- ardisation of appropriate furniture to meet the social needs, financial re- sources, limited room size and adja- cent external space. Funds for re- search and implementation of these requirements should be allocated as part of the funds allocated for hous- ing schemes.
"The congress recommends the simplification of architectural and structural designs and the specifica- tions of materials to ensure lower costs."
In a final word, prompted by its observations at first hand of the ac- complishments of the Singapore Gov- ernment which has broken the back of the housing problem in the Re- public, the congress said: "The con- gress notes with deep interest and satisfaction the significant achieve- ments of Singapore in the field of large-scale public housing, and be- lieves the Singapore achievement to be worthy of study by every Afro- Asian country."
WT.R.B
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Far East Architect & Builder November, 1967
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