EVALUATION OF A FARM PROJECT IN BUKIT BATOK

Abstract

Over the years, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has moved from providing just a roof over the head to offering a lifestyle to its residents. This entails bringing back the "kampong-style" of intensive neighbourliness to the housing estates, among other things. Although various programmes and grassroots organisations like the Residents' Committee (RC) have been set up to address this issue, the results are not satisfactory. This is mainly due to the rising expectations of the dwellers. Moreover, there is a need to address the increasing popularity of gardening. The Bukit Batok Zone "2" RC started a farm project to provide a natural environment in the concrete heartland of public housing, and at the same time offering a conducive setting to encourage neighbourly interaction. The project was subsequently extended to two other precincts in the estate. The farm's concept is essentially a scaled-down vegetable farm, combined with the cultivation of flowers and modern hydroponics technology. The study examines the management implications involved in running the farms. The characteristics and preferences of the users and non-users are surveyed and analysed. The results show that the farms are relatively successful in promoting neighbourly interaction and the usage of the farms are affected by some characteristics of the residents.