The Role of Precinct Typology in Community Building and Placemaking: An Evidence-Based Study in Singapore’s Public Housing

Keng Hua Chong (Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD))
Tshui Mum Ha (Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD))
Aerilynn Tze Cheng Tan (Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD))

High-rise, high-density living provides a sustainable development solution for the island state of Singapore and a liveable housing conditions for the residents. However, time and again social scientists, architects and planners have questioned whether such high-rise living actually encourages or deters residents from building community. If the environmental and economical benefits brought by the density were the accepted norm, how should we improve its social sustainability? While previous research had focused on high-rise living and its psychological dimensions, there is little discussion about how the design of these high-rise residential blocks within a precinct, i.e. the precinct typology, influences community building and placemaking. This paper thus aims to investigate the relationship between precinct typology and level of civic engagement in the context of high-rise public housing in Singapore.

Through extensive site studies, asset mapping and behavioural mapping, various precinct typologies are derived based on attributes such as the types of social, recreational or commercial amenities available in the vicinity of the public housing precincts, as well as the architectural typology of the residential blocks. Based on the theory of the four stages of neighbouring, namely geographic availability, passive contact, intentional contact, mutualtrust, where the stages follow a logical order with each necessarily preceding the next (Grannis, 2009), this paper examines the opportunity for community building in different precinct typologies, through case studies of various community initiatives and activities run by the residents and comparative analysis across three selected towns (representative of young, middle-age, and matured towns in Singapore). This paper argues that the design of precinct typology plays a significant role in providing a conducive space for cohesive living and building a resilient city.