The serious-most challenges of low cost housing were and still are: lowering the development cost without compromising provision standards and the quality of living in housing projects. They continue to top the list of research interests of scholars and institutions (academic and civic), both in the developed and developing countries and settings. Two general conceptions/approaches are still prominent in addressing the said challenges in low cost developments, namely: • Provision of ‘affordable’ completed low cost dwellings and settings with lower (as low as it can get) standards hence cheaper elements, components, details and finishes. • Provision of ‘incrementally’ developed housing projects, i.e. phasing the development cost over an extended period (spanning the life and operation of the dwelling), thus meeting the ‘initial’ cost limitations at the initial phase without denying the users their rights to expand and upgrade the standards of their dwellings in later phases (according to needs and affordability). The present paper critically reviews the two approaches to low cost housing, together with underlying conceptions; highlighting valid and current regional and international research contributions. A design and decision making tool/frame-work is then putforward to enable the involved actors (designers, developers and authorities included) to recognize and compare the merits and drawbacks of possible ‘scenarios’ of action, in low cost housing developments. The discourse comprises five closely related segments, in the following sequence: • On the challenge of low cost housing; an introduction. • Related thoughts, conceptions and approaches – a critical review. • A design and decision making tool in low cost housing development. • Application and evaluation of the proposed tool. In praise of incremental low cost housing development – Epilogue. Copyright © 2011 IAHS.
