Tall building living in high density cities: A comparison of Hong Kong and Singapore

Abstract

This Chapter seeks to examine the high-rise living experience of two high-density cities: Hong Kong and Singapore. The aim is to investigate the difference in residents' perception of tall building and tall building living between Hong Kong and Singapore to arrive at an understanding of: is there a relationship between how tall a person thinks a tall building is and his/her preference for life in high-rise buildings? The answer is pertinent to the debates on future urban density. Various urban scholars including Jacobs (1961) have long argued for proper density for urban dwellers. Ill-health, anxiety, isolation, for example, are some negative attributes of improper density ratios, commonly associated with high-rise living (Conway & Adams, 1977; Jephcott & Robinson, 1971). However, as explained in Chapter 1, tall buildings can help to mitigate some of the negative effects of high density. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.