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Compound and shared low-income houses in Ghana have economic, social, cultural, and familial advantages. Yet, COVID-19 and its related lockdown and home confinement in two urban cities, Accra and Kumasi, raised questions about the appropriateness of staying in a compound house while observing the COVID-19 protocols. Whereas a few studies have underscored the ineffectiveness of COVID-19 protocols in low-income shared houses, these assume a homogeneity of such households without reflecting on the diversities that exist among and between the different categories of low-income households and the imperative nuanced implications for the spread of infectious diseases. Against this backdrop the paper employed qualitative methodologies of in-depth interviews and non-participant observations to interrogate the experiences of low-income households' utilisation of space as they observed COVID-19 protocols. Drawing respondents from four low-income communities in Accra, the authors examined how traditional family households and non-traditional family households implemented the safety protocols and their implications for shared housing. Issues of sharing inadequate communal facilities and public health concerns as well as lack of access to inadequate water and living spaces impacted the respondents' COVID-19 experience. The study discovered that households' socioeconomic status is directly related to the management of epidemics in urban spaces in Ghana. • Over-crowding and sharing of communal facilities in compound houses raised public health concerns. • A renewed sense of communalism and bonding resulted among households in compound houses during the pandemic. • Existing social networks in houses increased conviviality and psychological resilience for people to deal with lockdown. • Implementing COVID-19 lockdown directives did not take into consideration the socioeconomic status of urban communities. • Efficient planning should be people-centered as local communities become partners and agents of transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skyrocketing housing prices in China's megacities have generated broad concerns. By integrating open data from Lianjia.com , Dianping.com , Mobike.com , and Baidu Map POI, we analyze spatial patterns of apartment prices and their association with local attributes in Shanghai. We find that Shanghai's residential market still has a monocentric structure because of the centralized distribution of public transport facilities and amenities. Hedonic models further confirm that structural attributes, accessibility, as well as public and private service amenities significantly shape the real estate market. These factors also are differentiated so as to form a pattern of concentric rings. In the inner-city and expanded inner-city areas, public service amenities such as parks, schools, hospitals, and banks, as well as private service amenities such as entertainment, shopping, and residential service facilities, boost housing prices. In the suburbs, better access to bike sharing, bus stops, and metro stations are the top preferences for apartment buyers. Our study also indicates that the Chinese government needs to make public and private services more accessible, not only spatially in urban peripheries and villages, but also institutionally to lower income families who cannot afford apartments in expensive neighborhoods. • The complexity of local factors of housing prices in Shanghai remains under-studied. • Shanghai's residential market is characterized by a monocentric structure. • Housing prices in Shanghai are heavily influenced by accessibility and amenity. • Public amenities such as metro stations, schools, and hospitals have an additional capitalization premium. • Better accessibility is the top preference for apartment buyers in the suburbs. • Residents in the inner-city area are willing to pay for better service amenities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The rapid growth of single-person households increases demand for shared housing. • Assess whether shared housing experiences are linked to community attachment. • Conduct surveying 750 young single-person households residing in Seoul. • Residents in shared housing show higher level of residential satisfaction. • Both shared housing experiences and housing preferences affect community attachment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the world-wide massive expansion in the number of higher education students has occurred, they are considered as an important driver of urban change. Off-campus student accommodation in the form of shared rental housing has become increasingly significant all over the world, with studies suggesting that this is having important consequences for housing markets in the many cities. As a result, there is a growing need for research showing the behaviour and motivation of this group of tenants. The COVID-19 pandemic and implemented restrictions provided a unique opportunity to explore the behaviour of young tenants in an unusual situation. By survey conducted in such inimitable conditions, new general knowledge has been gained. To highlight a key result, it was found that students are a large and extremely flexible group of tenants who demonstrate no reluctance to terminate a tenancy agreement and return quickly to the family home. The empirical results show that they displayed no attachment to the rented flat, full reluctance to pay for the reservation of a place and good knowledge of the market situation, leading to the negotiation of lower prices and more favourable rental conditions. However, their motivation to stay and continue to rent included uncomfortable study conditions at the family home, a romantic relationship with a partner, a job in the city and strong existing social bonds. The results reported in this study can be useful for global investors on the rental real estate market. • The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on the urban housing rental markets • Students have proved to be extremely adaptable tenants • Students appeared to be highly flexible tenants, thus renting for such a narrow group can be a very risky business [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 is re-shaping cities and regions, as residents respond to large disruptions to employment and social interaction and threats to public health. While the impacts of COVID-19 are extensive, certain groups are more vulnerable than others. Our research examines the impact of COVID-19 on members of share houses in the state of Victoria, Australia. This cohort is more likely to be young, casually employed, living in informal arrangements and at risk of homelessness than the broader population. We propose a conceptual framework for investigating the factors driving vulnerability to shocks and the resources most likely to support individuals to respond to or recover from these shocks. We surveyed 1052 share house occupants in June 2020. We found dramatic results, with 74% losing their job or having their hours reduced, 47% experiencing a reduction in their financial situation and 50% reporting that their mental health had deteriorated. These outcomes were worse for young people, casual employees or immigrants. Our research highlights the positive influence of social support for low-income individuals. We find that government social welfare payments are the most impactful form of insurance, calling for a greater appreciation of the role of social welfare in supporting resilience following a disaster. • Share households have experienced multiple shocks to employment, finances and mental health in response to COVID-19 • Young people, those employed casually and immigrants are substantially more likely to be negatively impacted by COVID-19 • Most residents of share houses have low incomes, limited savings, and limited capacity to support themselves through periods without income • Government payments are the most important factor supporting residents of share households in Victoria • The interaction of vulnerability, insurances and shocks provides a framework for understanding COVID-19 impacts and policy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term 'sharing' has become popularized in academic and practitioner circles. Recently, the concept of the sharing city has emerged. However, there is no homogenous global discourse about the sharing city. This could lead to very diverse interpretations of what the sharing city is and how it should be implemented. This study explores how the sharing city project is understood and strategically communicated by the municipality of Barcelona. A frame analysis of 67 documents published in the Barcelona City Council website during 2015–2018 has been used. Additionally, documents about strategies, plans and public policies related with Barcelona Sharing City were taken into account. Municipality's initiatives in relation to the sharing city spread across eleven areas including education, housing, entrepreneurship among others. Using the prognostic, diagnostic and motivational framings, it is found that the municipality aims i) to promote the sharing city as the combination of a top-down approach and citizen participation, ii) to constitute the notion of sharing as an opportunity for the city's future iii) to generate trust towards the local administration presenting it as an agent for the city's change. Also, the notion of sharing and sharing economy are explored in the case of Barcelona sharing city. • The interpretation of the 'sharing city' defines the field of action for institutions and citizens. • Frame analysis shows how the government can legitimize its policy making. • Prognostic frames suggest the municipality as the main change agent but also citizen participation. • The sharing city embraces may embrace or question the sharing economy. • The communication of the sharing city project can reinforce the city place brand the municipality's political brand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shared housing, which provides an individual, private room for each tenant and common spaces for all housemates, is an emerging housing option for young adults in many countries. This study explored housing perceptions and preferences and assessed young adults' willingness to pay for shared housing based on Maslow's hierarchy of human needs and Means-End Chain theory. Stated preferences regarding shared housing often refer to its unique attributes, such as security, affordable rent, better quality of living spaces, as well as social relationships with housemates. Based on a survey of 1000 young, single households in Seoul, the study found that respondents expressed greater willingness to pay for shared housing to gain economic, social, and security benefits; however, the trade-off between affordable rent and privacy was an important consideration. Understanding the needs of young, single adults in the context of shared housing is essential to solving the housing challenges currently facing this demographic group. • Shared housing is an emerging housing option for young adults in many countries. • Young single adults expected to gain economic, social and security benefits from shared housing. • A trade-off between affordable rent and privacy was a consideration in shared housing preferences. • Planning and design efforts should be combined to address privacy issues and social conflicts in shared housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]