POINT / SPREAD: AN ASSESSMENT ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF SHOPS AND AMENITIES IN HDB NEW TOWNS AND ITS EFFECTS ON AGING-IN-PLACE FOR ELDERLY RESIDENTS
TAN KIM LENG NICHOLAS
TAN KIM LENG NICHOLAS
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Abstract
“A home is a fundamental human imperative” (Pastalan, et al., 1993) and a large proportion
of Singapore’s population live in public housing. The Housing and Development Board (HDB)
has been planning towns and providing affordable public housing for Singapore since its
inception in the 1960s and continues to do so today. People in Singapore are living longer
lives due to improvements in nutrition, living conditions and public health services. Advances
in medical and pharmacological technology, coupled with a low crude birth rate, puts
Singapore in the setting of an ever‐growing, “greying” population. Singapore has been
championing for the elderly to “age‐in‐place” through the development of strong social
networks so that the elderly can continue to live in community for as long as possible
without institutionalization. (MCYS, 2009) With the upcoming change in age demographics,
it becomes important that the planning of towns and the design of public housing estates
are prepared to receive this phenomenon. This paper seeks to investigate and assess the
evolved design of town planning, focusing on the distribution of facilities and amenities that
cater to the ageing‐in‐place condition. It postulates that the manner of distribution of such
spaces, apart from availability, in the physical environment has a direct impact on the
general well‐being of the elderly, contributing greatly to the ability of the elderly to age‐inplace.
The findings show that the manners of distribution in newer towns are not as
conducive for ageing‐in‐place when compared to its predecessors.
Keywords
Architecture, Design Track, DT, Master, Heng Chye Kiang, 2012/2013 Aki DT, Arch, Age‐in‐place, Elderly, Public Housing, Singapore, Social Space, Town Planning
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Date
2014-09-23
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Dissertation