ENCOUNTERS WITH THE EVERYDAY (NIGHT)LIFE OF A GLOBAL CITY: URBAN INFORMALITY AND SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY IN THREE QUOTIDIAN NEIGHBOURHOODS OF SINGAPORE

Abstract

The nightscapes of today?s global cities are remarkable entertainment milieus for consumptive play and leisure; in this way, driving employment, tourism, and civic boosterism while also attracting foreign investment and creative talent in an era of globalisation. At the same time, however, this emphasis on rejuvenating the urban nighttime economy raises critical questions about inclusivity and social equity after dark. Adopting a qualitative research approach that combines the methods of flanerie-photography-narration, this empirical study investigates the spatial practices and temporal rhythms of everyday (night)life in three quotidian neighbourhoods of Singapore. This study demonstrates that the informal spatiotemporal modes of everyday (night)life can contribute to the making of a more socially sustainable city at night. Findings from this study open out new avenues through which to understand the spatiotemporal dimensions of the built environment at night and implications of an informal urban nighttime economy against the backdrop of a global city.