DEVELOPING BUGIS INTO AN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT

Abstract

On June 1997, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) announced plans for the development of Singapore's first designated entertainment area, named Entertainment Walk (E-Walk). Singapore's new Entertainment Area is strategically located in the Bugis-Selegie area. URA is transforming this large area into a vibrant, dynamic and multi-faceted entertainment hub, which will allow Singaporeans to enjoy a higher standard of living. This study attempts to explore the consumers' needs and preferences for leisure facilities in Singapore and thus the demand for E-walk as an entertainment area. The current leisure facilities available and the development of land in Singapore for leisure activities are examined. Though the entertainment facilities available in Singapore are proliferated and are conveniently located, the presence of E-walk will be able to liven up the leisure and entertainment industry in Singapore, ensuring the industry remains vibrant. The background of E-Walk is studied, revealing that Bugis-Selegie possesses several attributes like accessibility, proximity to complementary uses and the availability of vacant state land in the vicinity. The recent developments of the E-Walk are determined and they are found to be able to complement E-walk to make it a successful entertainment district. The findings from the consumers' survey have showed that 80% of the respondents feel that the leisure facilities in Singapore are inadequate and 78% of them feel that there is inadequate land zoned for recreation in Singapore. Hence, it supports the idea of developing a new entertainment district in Singapore to liven up the leisure industry. The respondents surveyed are looking forward to the development of E-Walk and the consumers' preferences of the facilities to be offered in E-Walk are determined.