gel 1

How do people depend on nature? (1/3)

Provides essentials like air and water

How do people depend on nature? (2/3)

Animals like bees pollinate crops for continuous supply of food

How do people depend on nature? (3/3)

Provides space for recreation and leisure activities → enables people to bond with family and friends, maintaining physical and mental well-being

How does nature depend on people? (1/2)

Tends to the health of nature areas, ensuring plants and animals thrive there

How does nature depend on people? (2/2)

People encourage each other to enjoy nature areas sustainably without causing damage

What are the benefits that nature brings to people? (1/3)

Lowering air temperature: presence of vegetation→ shade→prevents sunlight from reaching the surface

Vegetation also cools the surrounding air via evapotranspiration

What are the benefits that nature brings to people? (2/3)

Removal of pollutants: via photosynthesis→ improves air quality through leaves intercepted and wetland plants absorbing excess nutrients

What are the benefits that nature brings to people? (3/3)

Provision of recreational spaces: opportunities for outdoor activities, improving the well-being of humans

What are the benefits that people bring to nature? (1/2)

Collectively raise awareness about the value of nature areas via encouragement of positive behavior

What are the benefits that people bring to nature? (2/2)

Organizing and participating in conservation efforts

What are the disadvantages that people bring to nature? (1/3)

Soil erosion: hiking along non-designated trails → trampling and damage of vegetation

What are the disadvantages that people bring to nature? (2/3)

Worsening pollution and disturbing wildlife: Littering: Animals can get hurt and entangled by the litter→ mistaking it for food and consuming it→ could be fatal

What are the disadvantages that people bring to nature? (3/3)

People may feed animals→changing the behaviors and habits of wildlife→ animals will associate food with humans→ increased conflicts between people and wildlife

What are the disadvantages that nature brings to humans? [Why encounters increase] (1/3)

Increased human-wildlife encounters, which lead to increased conflicts: Urban expansion in SG → natural habitats shrinking→ wildlife may venture out of nature areas in search of food and shelter

People are spending more time in nature areas

SG aims to bring nature back into the city, thus promoting the encounters

What are the disadvantages that nature brings to humans? (2/3)

Uneducated people not knowing how to handle wildlife→ unintentional provoking of animals→ attacks

What are the disadvantages that nature brings to humans? (3/3)

Some animals may be confused and fearful when venturing into unfamiliar urban spaces→ increased likelihood of attacks when triggered

How do people and nature mutually affect each other? (1/3)

Presence of green spaces and urban wildlife in neighborhoods→ enhances mental health and well-being of local communities

How do people and nature mutually affect each other? (2/3)

People enhance biodiversity: reforestation activities→ people gain enjoyment and increased mental well-being

How do people and nature mutually affect each other? (3/3)

Overall health of the natural environment is enforced: increased shelters and habitats for urban wildlife to thrive

Misc: Environmental protection may be perceived to be limiting development

Some people feel that the protection of nature is done at the expense of their own needs

What is a sense of place?

A location that people associate memories and feelings with

- Reflects the relationship people have with the places around them

- Helps build our identity→understand ourselves and others better

- Personal and subjective

- One location holds different meanings for different people

How is a sense of place acquired? (1/3)

Repeated encounters with objects and people: Helps recall the character and features of the place→ creates memories and meanings

How is a sense of place acquired? (2/3)

Significant or memorable events at local landmarks and gathering places: landmarks are highly visible and easy for people to remember→ symbolic or historical purposes (+ve/-ve memories)

How is a sense of place acquired? (3/3)

Interactions with people at everyday places; ie, shops→ development of attachment to the place→ feeling a sense of belonging to our neighborhood

How is a sense of place represented?

Various media types: Print, Broadcast, Internet-Based

→ Reflects people’s ideas, memories, and significance of the location

How does the representation of sense of place enhance someone’s sense of place?

Our sense of place shapes our identity→ we respond well to representations that agree with how we feel about places in the neighborhood

Representations add new layers of meanings to these places→ by revealing interesting info about them, it enhances our sense of place

How does the representation of sense of place contradict someone’s sense of place?

We may respond defensively to media content that challenges our sense of place→ causing us to dismiss these media content, perceiving them as distortions or untruths

What are regions?

• Areas with similar physical and/or human characteristics

• Vary in size

• Sphere of influence (area that people travel from, to use a service) of services, events and objects at other locations in the area

How are regions classified?

1) Environmental Characteristics ie. Nature vs Built-Up Areas

2) Human Characteristics ie. Commercial vs Residential Areas

3) Geographical Locations ie. East vs West

What are spatial patterns?

Non-random arrangements recognized as:

- Shapes/Geometry (Circle MRT Line resembles an Oval)

- Clusters (Heavy industries clustered in the West of SG)

- Repeated Occurrences at Regular Intervals (Bus stops every 400m)

non-random arrangement of services, events and objects in an area

services, events and objects arranged in recognisable shapes, geometry, clusters or at regular intervals

What are spatial associations?

The tendency of a pair of services, events, or objects to be located near each other→ shows connections between these services, events, and objects

ie, Train stations and bus interchanges are located near each other to increase convenience of switching from one mode of travel to another→ reducing travel time

What are spatial scales?

The extent of an area in which something/a process occurs

Scales→ Different hierarchies: global, regional, and local

Nested Areas: Smaller areas located within larger areas

Spatial Hierarchy: clusters of residential units form a precinct, which in turn forms neighbourhoods that combine into a town

Why is it important to study spatial scales?

Helps us understand how events and processes @ one spatial scale may affect people and nature @ other spatial scales → providing different POV based on the spatial patterns and trends observed

What are the spatial scales in SG? / Why do town centres in SG have a large sphere of influence?

SG: >20 towns

1 town: a town centre with a concentration of activities

• may serve as the commercial and social hub for residents living in the neighbourhood

• may have integrated transport hubs ie, bus interchanges and MRT are near shopping malls

• convenient: attracts visitors from other towns→ viable for large shopping malls to be located there

• may attract businesses to locate their offices in these town centres→ lower rental costs and reduced travelling time for workers

Why are social activities usually concentrated at the town centre?

Neighbourhoods surround the town centre→ a central spot for gathering→ enables residents to travel to and from the town centre conveniently

Integrated transport hubs make it accessible for visitors from other towns to visit

Large gathering centres located in town centres→ enable community events to occur regularly

Precinct

• 400-800 residential units

• nearby facilities, serving residents’ everyday needs (playgrounds, community gardens, covered linkways)

• Facilities that are spread out (bus stops @ regular intervals, near every block→ accessible for residents)

Neighbourhood

• 4000-6000 residential units

• a neighbourhood = a few precincts

• >1 neighbourhood = a town

• Neighbourhoods surround the town centre→ enabling residents to travel to and from the town centre conveniently

Town

• a town = >1 neighbourhood

• Has a wide range of facilities→ enhance residents’ convenience and meet their everyday needs (extensive roads, PCN, shops and schools)

• Facilities complement one another, bringing amenities under one roof (HDB Hub, located right next to TPY bus interchange and MRT with shopping mall and tuition centres)

What are the facilities in a precinct that enhance residents’ convenience and meet their daily needs?

• Small shops

• Children playgrounds

• Exercise stations

• Community gardens

• Covered linkways

• Bus stops @ regular intervals

• PCN / cycling and pedestrian pathways - links one precinct / neighbourhood to another

What are the facilities in a neighbourhood that enhance residents’ convenience and meet their daily needs?

• Neighbourhood malls

• Neighbourhood parks

• Community centres

• Eldercare/Childcare

• Extensive roads

• PCN / cycling and pedestrian pathways - links one precinct / neighbourhood to another

• LRT

What are the facilities in a town that enhance residents’ convenience and meet their daily needs?

• Large shopping malls

• Large gathering places for community activities

• Schools

• Bus Interchange

• MRT

How is town planning done in SG? (1/2)

Serving residents and providing for nature at precinct, neighbourhood, and town levels:

• Majority of land allocated to housing, industrial, and commercial development

• Remaining land→ roads, schools, parks, and other essential facilities

• Facilities @ different spatial hierarchies often complement each other→ enabling each town to be self-sufficient and provide employment opportunities

• ie, Tengah→ SG’s first forest town with a 5km long forest corridor→ supports a rich biodiversity within the town

  Key features of Tengah where residents experience being “At Home with Nature”

  Town Level: cycling and pedestrian networks→ convenient travel by foot and bike

  Neighbourhood Level: residents can farm together at community gardens

How is town planning done in SG? (2/2)

Creating connections and synergies across precincts, neighbourhoods, and towns:

• Created to achieve sustainability→ Long-term plans that optimise scarce resources to cater to diverse needs of current and future generations

ie. Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) coordinates long-term planning in SG, involving multiple stakeholders→ mapping out of land uses and infrastructure needs in SG over the next 50 years, where plans are reviewed on a 10-year basis

• Meeting the needs of being a small island nation, but also the people’s needs

• When something is built at a national level, its impacts should amplify across different scales to benefit people

• SG needs to accommodate other uses that are typically not located in cities→ urban planners in SG must plan for military facilities, waste treatment plants, power stations, seaports and airports

ie. Senoko Waste-To-Energy Plant (waste treatment plant) located near Woodlands and Sembawang→ manages pollution while maximizing benefits like job creation and educational opportunities for students in nearby towns→ synergies produced as both nature and people are taken into account

Synergies: ≥2 people/organisations work together