Abstract
In urban studies and in energy policy there is much debate about the relationship between energy demand and the density of residential areas, measured in units like those of population per hectare, or per Km2. In this paper we take a different approach. Rather than evaluating the relative merits of compact or sprawling urban forms we focus on the spatial configuration of the infrastructures, appliances and systems of provision on which city life depends. An interview based study of households living in the same extremely ‘dense’ neighbourhood in Hanoi allows us to show how practices of cooling, laundering and cooking (and the energy demands associated with them) are shaped by material arrangements that exist within the home and that stretch far beyond it as well. The conclusion that supply and demand are constituted across multiple spatial scales has practical implications for urban design, and for how the relation between energy demand and density is defined and understood.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Buildings & cities |
Volume | 2 |
Issue number | 1 |
Pages (from-to) | 79-91 |
Number of pages | 13 |
ISSN | 2632-6655 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Feb 2021 |
MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Fields of Science
- 5200 Other social sciences