INTEGRATING DEVELOPMENTS WITH THE MASS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM

Abstract

Integrated development is an innovative land-use planning concept with its roots in mixed use development and optimising of land use at travel nodes. The idea of integrating land uses with transport infrastructure is largely brought about by the opportunities and constraints created by the national planning system. The planning authority's definition of the term "integrated development" was sought and presented in this paper. The literature review identified the justifications for mixing land uses and that such a concept is multi-faceted. This dissertation aims to investigate the impacts and constraints of integrating uses. Much information was gathered through interviews with market practitioners. Attention was also given to the perceptions of three groups of consumers and users of such developments - homebuyers, shoppers and retailers. Through a structured survey, it was found out that there could be a limited market for residential developments that are vertically integrated with the MRT system as 80% of the respondents expressed that the ideal residence is of walking distance to a MRT station. Only 5.3% of those interviewed indicated living directly above the station as ideal. Proximity to MRT was found to affect the choice of shopping locations. Retailers also gravitate toward shopping centres that are integrated with the MRT stations to tap on the heavy pedestrian traffic. Underlying issues pertaining to the legal framework for integrated developments is still ambiguous and problems that could arise from the land ownership issues present potential for further research.