num_pages: 162
description: John Turner's classic essay makes a unique contribution to housing theory and practise. His Three Laws of Housing summarize the psychological, social and economic basis of his 1: When people have no control over, nor responsibility for, key decisions in the housing process, dwelling environments may become a barrier to personal fulfilment and a burden on the economy. 2. The important thing about housing is not what it is but what it does in people's lives. 3. Deficiencies and imperfections in your housing are infinitely more tolerable if they are your responsibility than if they are somebody else's. John Turner was born in 1927 in London. He took a Degree at the Architectural Association in London and then lived in Peru from 1957 until 1965, working for Peruvian government housing agencies, contributing to their programmes for community action and self-help housing in villages and urban squatter settlements. From 1965 to 1973 he lived in Massachusettes, USA and was an associate with MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). He returned to London in 1973 and worked at the AA in the Developmental Planning Unit. He now lives in Hastings, East Sussex.
language: English
title: Housing by People: Towards Autonomy in Building Environments
publisher: Marion Boyars Publishers Ltd