GEL 1.4 Organisation of Neighbourhoods in SG

How are neighbourhoods organised in Singapore?

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