THE RECREATIONAL CARRYING CAPACITY OF PASIR RIS RESORT

Abstract

Traditionally, recreational carrying capacity studies concentrated on outdoor recreational settings, such as those capitalising on natural resources. Examples include wildland and scenic mountain areas. Such settings extensiveness, are characterised by little or no built-up their spatial structures (i.e. facilities) and potentially low-use levels. Often, recreation norms dictate that such settings should have low-use levels. In contrast, studies on "high-density" recreation settings, particularly man-made resources, are scarce. This exercise, as such, is exploratory in nature, looking at how the nature of activities, use-level and perceptions of users affect the recreational carrying capacity of such settings. The area chosen for the study is the NTUC Pasir Ris Resort, a "high-density" recreation environment. The recreational carrying capacity concept, being essentially an "equilibrium" concept, is analysed within a systems framework. Three key elements of the in Pasir Ris Resort recreation system recreationist, the recreation resource and the management -- are interpreted as interacting elements in the complex process of user-resource interaction leading to an output. The output stems from the two “mechanisms” of the impact of use upon the users (social-perceptual carrying capacity) as well as upon the recreation resource (physical and facility carrying capacity). Available empirical evidence suggests that the recreational carrying capacity system of Pasir Ris Resort is a stable one. This is primarily because of two interrelated reasons. Firstly, the nature of the recreational activities carried out are high intensity activities supported by a well-organised spatial structure and infrastructure tolerant of mass use; and secondly, such a "high-density" recreation environment has shaped the expectations of users to accept high use-levels. Moreover, the strength of the system is reinforced by its "adjustment mechanisms" in which both the recreationists and resources are flexible and able to respond to changes in "inputs" (use-levels) between peak and non-peak seasons of recereational demand.