REVITALISATION THROUGH PEDESTRIANISATION IN CHINATOWN

Abstract

Pedestrianisation has been used as an effective tool by many cities in the west to revitalise ailing downtown areas, to manage and control urban traffic, to improve environmental conditions, and to enhance social benefits. In Singapore, pedestrianisation has been accorded much emphasis. In fact, making Singapore more "pedestrian-friendly" is a key element of the transport plan in the Revised Concept Plan 1991. Particularly, pedestrianisation will be encouraged in the Central Area to encourage Singaporeans to walk short distances. In view of this, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has unveiled a $1 million plan to pedestrianise several streets in the Central Area, for example, Pagoda and Trengganu Streets in the Kreta Ayer area of Chinatown. The aim of which is to bring back the bustling and festive street atmosphere for which Kreta Ayer, the traditional retail core of Chinatown, has always been known for. While there has been much success on the foreign scene where pedestrianisation has helped to bring about economic and social revitalisation, it is the author's intention to find out whether the same effects can be achieved in the local context. The objective of the study is thus to find out whether Chinatown should be pedestrianised and whether pedestrianisation will actually bring about revitalisation. From the survey results, it is found that more than 80% of the visitors and retailers welcome the idea of pedestrianisation in Chinatown but a lower percentage of them (77% and 63% for visitors and retailers respectively) felt that revitalisation can be achieved through pedestrianisation. However, more than 90% of them felt that Chinatown will be revitalised through the introduction of traditional cultural activities and events into the pedestrianised area.