Housing and Transport Systems – Key Vocabulary

44 vocabulary flashcards covering key housing and transport concepts, features, impacts and sustainable management strategies from the lecture notes.

Formal housing

Housing built by government or private developers that follows planning guidelines, provides legal land rights and offers basic services.

Informal housing

Self-built squatter settlements constructed in an unplanned manner without legal land rights, basic services or durable materials.

Government developer

Public agency, such as Singapore’s Housing and Development Board (HDB), that constructs flats for citizens and permanent residents.

Private developer

Company that buys or leases government land to create condominiums or landed houses, often including private facilities.

Legal rights to occupy land

Official entitlement allowing residents to obtain, use and possess land without fear of eviction.

Quality building materials

High-grade materials like concrete and steel that meet safety standards and withstand weather and fire.

Low-quality building materials

Scavenged or inferior items, such as zinc sheets or cardboard, that degrade quickly and pose safety risks.

Access to basic services

Availability of clean piped water, proper sanitation and waste disposal for residents of a housing area.

Desirable land

Areas with good amenities, greenery and infrastructure designated for formal housing developments.

Locally unwanted land use (LULU)

Industrial sites, transport routes or water bodies where informal housing often locates despite planning guidelines.

Amenities

Useful or pleasant features—e.g., eldercare facilities, community clubs—that provide comfort, convenience or enjoyment.

Provision of basic needs

Supply of essentials such as clean water and sanitation that cuts disease and boosts resident well-being.

Sense of community

Social interaction among residents that nurtures belonging, inclusivity and shared memories.

Use of natural resources

Extraction of wood, steel, land and other materials to build housing, potentially leading to resource depletion.

Water pollution (housing)

Contamination of water bodies when slum dwellers dump waste due to lack of sanitation services.

Land pollution (housing)

Degradation of soil quality from improper waste disposal around informal settlements.

Integrated land-use planning

Stakeholders jointly design housing, amenities and infrastructure to create sustainable, conflict-free urban development.

Inclusive housing

Range of homes and facilities tailored to youths, adults, elderly and the disabled to meet diverse needs.

Slum upgrading

Government programme giving informal settlements basic services and sturdier construction to improve living conditions.

Transport network

Interconnected routes and nodes that enable movement of people and goods within a region.

Node

Location—such as a station or stop—that provides access to a transport network.

Route

Path linking two nodes in a transport network for travel.

Network density

Number of nodes and routes in an area; higher density supports faster, easier travel.

Transport infrastructure

Physical facilities like roads, railways, bridges, signage and information systems that support movement.

Frequency (transport)

How often a service arrives; high frequency means short waiting times for users.

Capacity (transport)

Maximum number of passengers or volume of goods a system can carry efficiently.

Convenience (transport)

Ease and comfort experienced by users while travelling.

Coverage (transport)

Geographic reach or availability of a transport service across an area.

Environmentally sustainable transport

Transport modes and infrastructure designed to minimise ecological impact and carbon emissions.

Variety of transport modes

Diverse land, air and water options—motorised or non-motorised—for moving goods and people.

Fixed routes and stops

Services such as buses and trains that operate along predetermined paths and stations.

Timed schedule

Transport, e.g., ferries, that runs according to set departure and arrival times.

Point-to-point service

Customised transport (e.g., taxis) that travels directly between a rider’s chosen start and end points.

Terminal

Start or end point of a journey within a transport network, such as an airport or bus terminal.

Interchange

Location where passengers transfer within or between transport networks.

Accessibility

Ease of reaching a destination within reasonable time and cost; higher accessibility improves mobility.

Traffic congestion

Condition of slow speeds, long queues and high vehicle buildup when road use nears or exceeds capacity.

Respiratory problems (transport)

Health issues like breathing difficulty or lung infection caused by air pollutants from vehicle emissions.

Noise pollution (transport)

Harmful sound levels from traffic that can disturb sleep, impair hearing and affect cardiovascular health.

Changes in physical environment (transport)

Alterations of landforms, vegetation and habitats to construct roads, railways and other infrastructure.

Carbon footprint (transport)

Amount of greenhouse gases produced by transport activities, contributing to the enhanced greenhouse effect.

Road pricing

Policy charging drivers to use specific roads, typically in central areas, to reduce congestion.

Research and development in transport technology

Innovation aimed at creating greener, more efficient transport systems and infrastructure.

Electric vehicle (EV)

Motorised mode powered by electricity, offering lower emissions and noise compared to conventional vehicles.