NUS VILLAGE, THE - FUTURE OF UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

The NUS Village was conceptualised with the intention of injecting life into the campus round the clock. Developing a self-sufficient campus would ensure constant activity in the campus, thus optimising the use of research facilities. The purpose of this dissertation is to determine the suitability of the Kent Ridge site for such a development; investigate the demand for retail developments; determine students' needs and wants out of the retail component; and lastly to study a retail development of a university which has been implemented with success. Kent Ridge's hilly terrain proved to be an obstacle for development of a central activity node. The retail hub would serve its use better if it were situated outside of the main campus. There is a healthy population size within and around the campus. In order to channel that demand into the retail hub, a vibrant tenant-mix and capable management are required to draw the demand from other retail centres around the area. Students form the main demand pool. Through the use of a survey instrument, it was found that the support for the retail component is strong and students generally, have a positive outlook towards it. The comparative study with Harvard Square gives an insight of the success of a retail hub developed for university use. Through this study, it can be concluded that the chances of the NUS Village realising its objectives are high provided that the policies to govern the management and planning of the campus continually revise its goals to keep up-to-date.