An Economic History of Residential Building in Belgium Between 1890 and 1961


Book Description

In this study two questions are fundamental: how many houses were constructed annually in Belgium and what factors determined its development? Answering the first question required extensive archival research as official figures appeared to be non-existent or of a doubtful quality. in the second part, housing construction is related to demographic factors, real income, interest rates, inflation, building costs and rents. Several aspects of the industry, including structure, labour and materials supplies, investment, technical change and efficiency are also thoroughly investigated. Finally, the author examines Belgian housing policy and its impact on residential building.




Belgian National Income During the Interwar Period


Book Description

Historical national accounting is nowadays recognized as an important field of research in economic history. Nevertheless the sub discipline also receives a lot of criticism. Several estimates would be based on shaky data material so that the outcome would in part reflect the personal opinion of those who produced the series. Moreover in some publications the estimation methods are explained in very vague terms thereby making a duplication of the results almost impossible. This book tries to remedy these critiques. The estimation procedures of the various components of Belgian national income between 1920 and 1939 are thoroughly discussed and explained.The book also falsifies the proposition that "Belgium is a country without statistics". There are many series available but they are scattered over many publications and therefore often difficult to find. One merit of this book is that it brings together quantitative material from very diverse sources and origins. Not only economic historians will benefit from the wealth of statistics presented here, but also e.g. social historians.




The Oxford Encyclopedia of Economic History


Book Description

What were the economic roots of modern industrialism? Were labor unions ever effective in raising workers' living standards? Did high levels of taxation in the past normally lead to economic decline? These and similar questions profoundly inform a wide range of intertwined social issues whose complexity, scope, and depth become fully evident in the Encyclopedia. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the field, the Encyclopedia is divided not only by chronological and geographic boundaries, but also by related subfields such as agricultural history, demographic history, business history, and the histories of technology, migration, and transportation. The articles, all written and signed by international contributors, include scholars from Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Covering economic history in all areas of the world and segments of ecnomies from prehistoric times to the present, The Oxford Encyclopedia of Economic History is the ideal resource for students, economists, and general readers, offering a unique glimpse into this integral part of world history.




Capital Formation in Belgium, 1900-1995


Book Description

Based on the analysis of more than 35,000 company balance sheets, annual series of gross private investment have been constructed for 15 different sectors in Belgium between 1900 and 1995. The resulting data clearly show that the level of gross investment in the Belgian economy, expressed as a percentage of national income, was generally much lower than during the post world war two period. An international comparison demonstrates that Belgium usually invested far less than its major competitors. Moreover, the traditional coal and metal industries benefitted most of the investment effort instead of newer sectors like the chemical industry. Thus the present study contributes to explaining for the relatively poor growth performances of the Belgian economy prior to the 1960s.




Proceedings of the First Conference of the Construction History Society


Book Description

The proceedings of the first conference of the Construction History Society, which took place on 11 and 12 April 2014 at Queens' College, Cambridge, featuring 48 peer-reviewed papers covering a wide variety of subjects on the theme of construction history.




History of Construction Cultures Volume 1


Book Description

History of Construction Cultures Volume 1 contains papers presented at the 7ICCH – Seventh International Congress on Construction History, held at the Lisbon School of Architecture, Portugal, from 12 to 16 July, 2021. The conference has been organized by the Lisbon School of Architecture (FAUL), NOVA School of Social Sciences and Humanities, the Portuguese Society for Construction History Studies and the University of the Azores. The contributions cover the wide interdisciplinary spectrum of Construction History and consist on the most recent advances in theory and practical case studies analysis, following themes such as: - epistemological issues; - building actors; - building materials; - building machines, tools and equipment; - construction processes; - building services and techniques ; -structural theory and analysis ; - political, social and economic aspects; - knowledge transfer and cultural translation of construction cultures. Furthermore, papers presented at thematic sessions aim at covering important problematics, historical periods and different regions of the globe, opening new directions for Construction History research. We are what we build and how we build; thus, the study of Construction History is now more than ever at the centre of current debates as to the shape of a sustainable future for humankind. Therefore, History of Construction Cultures is a critical and indispensable work to expand our understanding of the ways in which everyday building activities have been perceived and experienced in different cultures, from ancient times to our century and all over the world.




Studies in the History of Services and Construction


Book Description

Building services are often overlooked in the history of architecture and engineering. This volume presents 41 papers presented at the Fifth Annual Conference of the Construction History Society held at Queens' College Cambridge from 6-8 April 2018 which cover a wide variety of topics on aspects of construction history and building services.




Building Knowledge, Constructing Histories, Volume 1


Book Description

Building Knowledge, Constructing Histories brings together the papers presented at the Sixth International Congress on Construction History (6ICCH, Brussels, Belgium, 9-13 July 2018). The contributions present the latest research in the field of construction history, covering themes such as: - Building actors - Building materials - The process of building - Structural theory and analysis - Building services and techniques - Socio-cultural aspects - Knowledge transfer - The discipline of Construction History The papers cover various types of buildings and structures, from ancient times to the 21st century, from all over the world. In addition, thematic papers address specific themes and highlight new directions in construction history research, fostering transnational and interdisciplinary collaboration. Building Knowledge, Constructing Histories is a must-have for academics, scientists, building conservators, architects, historians, engineers, designers, contractors and other professionals involved or interested in the field of construction history. This is volume 1 of the book set.




The Economic Development of Belgium Since 1870


Book Description

Twenty-seven articles published between 1937 and 1993 provide a broad overview of the Belgian economy, focusing not only on the strictly economic aspects of development but also on related aspects such as technological progress, monetary and financial policy, and standard of living. The studies address topics such as the problem of de- industrialization, structural unemployment, industrial restructuring, the export-oriented nature of Belgian industry and its competitiveness on the international marketplace, and institutional developments and adaptations. No index. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR




Building Knowledge, Constructing Histories


Book Description

Building Knowledge, Constructing Histories brings together the papers presented at the Sixth International Congress on Construction History (6ICCH, Brussels, Belgium, 9-13 July 2018). The contributions present the latest research in the field of construction history, covering themes such as: - Building actors - Building materials - The process of building - Structural theory and analysis - Building services and techniques - Socio-cultural aspects - Knowledge transfer - The discipline of Construction History The papers cover various types of buildings and structures, from ancient times to the 21st century, from all over the world. In addition, thematic papers address specific themes and highlight new directions in construction history research, fostering transnational and interdisciplinary collaboration. Building Knowledge, Constructing Histories is a must-have for academics, scientists, building conservators, architects, historians, engineers, designers, contractors and other professionals involved or interested in the field of construction history.