Driving factors that influence the development of housing project on hilly area in Penang: Developer's perspective

Housing development on hillside still continue although it affects the surrounding environment. The nature condition of hillside areas has formed of numerous regulations and guidelines by government and private agencies to guide these developments in order to ensure safety and welfare of property owners. The research aim for this study is to determine the driving factors that influence the development of housing project on hilly area. This research takes integrated approach in identifying driving factors, impacts and ways to overcome housing development on hilly area. The research methodology is carried out through qualitative method where questionnaire is distributed to developers who registered under REHDA in Penang. This research involved 90 number of participants in answering the questionnaire and only 32 numbers of questionnaires were completely returned. The major findings are successfully identified through the driving factors rated according to the mean score with five major factors ranked as the most influential factor is scarcity of land. Second findings identified the impacts rated by the developers based on their perspective is landslides as it is recorded as the highest ranked among all impacts. The third findings where competent expertise by Local Authorities is required to verify and evaluate safety aspects of the project as one of the way to overcome the impacts of the housing development.