CHANGI VILLAGE TRANSFORMED : A GEOGRAPHICAL STUDY

Abstract

Villages are often associated with a rural and backward setting. However, villages have been and are dynamic locales of activity. In the post industrial age, they have not only become places of work and home for people but are also places for play for many individuals too. The flexibility of villages to adapt to the surrounding trends and demands of society can be seen from the Changi Village experience. This modem village, situated at the far eastern tip of Singapore evolved from a fishing village into a potential destination for recreation and tourism activities. This thesis seeks to study, how this unique village has been able to maintain and take on more roles for its many users since its colonial days, in the urbanized city-state of Singapore. It also seeks to discover the factors responsible for its transformation. Given the dynamism of this village to adapt to changes around it and within it, this study aims to picture how the village will evolve in the future. It evaluates the future plans for the village by the government and suggests ways to turn the envisioned role to develop Changi Village into a recreational seaside resort destination for mainly Singaporeans and tourists into reality.