Safety and dwelling in Singapore

Abstract

The persuasion is that urban safety is an issue few cities can ignore; however, we have not one but several approaches to strengthening urban safety. This paper suggests a focus on urban and community identity, drawn from the Singaporean experience. Singapore is distinguished by its high density (6060 persons/km2) and relatively low crime rate, even though 86% of its population lives in densely populated high-rise public housing. It has increasingly turned to planning for urban identity to create an acceptable city environment with the potential to contribute to a sense of dwelling and urban safety. The paper analyses how providing a quality living environment and constructing a usable past may serve to build up the present basis for planning a safe city environment that contributes to making the city a distinctive and pleasant place to live in. © 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.