Since the above variables are chosen based on western developed countries culture,
certain adjustments are needed in order to suit the situation in Guangzhou. After the
pilot study and group discussions with industry experts and housing users,
considering the lifestyle, culture and the characteristics of housing market in
Guangzhou, 13 attributes are selected to be assessed for the impact of correlative
variables on housing environment, with these attributes set up as four to five
sub-factors in the three categories of:
(1) mobility;
(2) community facilities; and
(3) community social capital.
Figure 1 shows the hierarchy structure with factors under categories to which they
belong.
Definition of the attributes
In this study, the three categories, namely: mobility, community facilities and
community social capital are elaborated as follows:
(1) Mobility:
. Public traffic network (PUT). The public traffic network refers to the quality
of public transport system connected to the neighbourhood, such as the bus
lines and metro system.
. Private traffic network (PIT). The private traffic network means the quality
of the private transport system of the neighbourhood, such as the
convenience of private car parking and being close to expressway exits