If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The paper seeks to identify the major factors causing delay in building construction projects in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach -A questionnaire survey was used to carry out the study. The questionnaire consisted of 31 factors which were grouped into four major categories by responsibility -contractor factors, owner factors, consultant factors and external factors. The level of importance of the categories was measured and the relative importance of weights was ranked. Findings -The study finds that financial problems are the main factor and coordination problems are the second most important factor causing delay in construction projects in Malaysia. The results were analyzed to rank the causes of delay and further classify the types of delay.Research limitations/implications -The scope of this study is limited to building projects in the Klang Valley area, where major Malaysian cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam and Seremban are located. The data for this study was gathered through a detailed questionnaire survey. Originality/value -Based on the analysis of the ranking and intensity of causes of delay, this paper suggests possible improvements that could be made in order to reduce delays in the construction industry.

PurposeHousing costs are very high in Yemen compared with Middle East countries, which caused a shortage of housing supply especially for low‐income groups. This paper aims to develop affordable housing design for people with low income and to examine their ability to afford houses in Sana'a, Yemen.Design/methodology/approachTwo different questionnaires were used to achieve the study objectives. The first one was to examine the requirements and needs of low‐income groups, while the second was to analyze the feedback of professionals in relevant housing authorities in Sana'a. An affordable house design methodology was used to design alternatives of low‐income housing in order to minimize cost and environmental impact while maximizing the social acceptability in housing projects.FindingsThe results show that the low‐income group can afford new houses in Sana'a in consideration of the following: constructing multi‐storey housing units such as apartment system through using the concrete frame structure and building the internal and external walls with concrete blocks with limited areas (65‐120) square meters.Originality/valueThe findings could be used to improve housing affordability through housing policies in Yemen in order to decrease the housing shortage particularly for the low‐income group.

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors that cause housing shortage for lowincome groups in Yemen and recommend some solutions to alleviate the problem. Design/methodology/approach -A questionnaire survey has been used as the tool to carry out this study. The first part of the questionnaire consisted of three groups namely: economic, administrative, and legal factors. The second part consists of suggestions on housing supply, construction methods, and materials used for low-cost housing in Yemen. The level of importance of the categories was measured and the relative importance of weightage was ranked. Findings -The results show that the most important economic factors causing housing shortage were poor handling of available economic resources and shortage of economic resources. The most important administrative factors causing housing shortage were lack of organization and synchronization and not conducting studies on housing. The most important legal factor causing housing shortage was lack of legalization of housing. Originality/value -The findings could be used to improve housing policies and strategy in Yemen in order to decrease the housing shortage, particularly for the low-income group.

PurposeThe cost of housing is very high in Yemen compared with Middle East countries, which has caused a shortage of housing supply, especially for the low‐income group. The purpose of this paper is to identify factors that are significantly influencing housing cost in Yemen.Design/methodology/approachThe study surveyed 60 professionals in housing in Yemen, to identify factors influencing housing cost that are related to land, materials used, construction methods used, finishing works, and other factors/related issues. The questionnaire survey instrument consisted of 32 factors, which were grouped into these five categories. The level of importance was measured and the relative importance of weightage was ranked for all five categories.FindingsThis study found that cost of project land, cost of cement and steel for reinforced concrete are the most significant factors influencing housing cost in Yemen.Originality/valueBased on the analysis of the ranking and intensity of housing cost factors, this paper further suggests possible improvements for decreasing the housing cost in Yemen. These recommendations are hoped to increase more regulated housing development and housing policy.

In the design process of open spaces within residential apartments, little attention is paid to children and their attitude to the environment is often ignored. Children, especially those who live in high-rise apartments, were found to have less connection with nature. Children supposedly need to engage in physical activities within outdoor areas, but urban planners, with the approval of managers or parents, must adequately design the open space for children. This paper initially reviews different research in this area. It consequently attempts to evaluate parental satisfaction regarding children's connectivity to open spaces as a dependent variable, and their preferences and perception of safety as independent variables. The research method is based on a questionnaire survey addressed to 261 parents and adults, in two localities in Tehran, Iran. The result of this research shows that parental attitude to open space has an effect on children's outdoor activities. Moreover, parents with young children express lower satisfaction to open spaces than those adults without young children. Families with children need open spaces in residential high-rise apartments for their siblings’ physical activities, and the designers should consider such an important need.