PUBLIC THRESHOLD TOLERANCE OF HIGHER HIGH-RISE LIVING

Abstract

Given the smallness of the country, high-rise housing is the only alternative for Singaporean to meet the need of owning a home. Under pressure of increasing in population, the Urban Redevelopment Authority has relaxed on the height control for housing and makes room for Singaporean to live higher. With this revision in the building height for housing, this study aims to uncover Singaporeans reaction to living in higher public housing and the factors contribution the threshold tolerance of Singaporeans for such living. To achieve this task, two types of material have been used, viz. empirical material from previous studies, an empirical data and information collected during fieldwork. The fieldwork comprises a sample survey of 120 households and an in-depth study of 4 re-housing families from the selected 3 block of 25 storey HDB flat of Blk 700A, 700B and 700C in Ang Mo Kio Ave 3. The exploratory study on the building height trend of public housing in Singapore show that the height of public housing change tremendously in the past 40 years from 4 storey walk-up apartment built by SIT to the proposed 50 storey high-rise HDB flat. There is an on-moving trend in increasing the height and the height of public housing would varies in line with the housing policy adopted by the Singapore Government. The findings of study show that Singaporean is not ready to accept the higher high-rise living. The threshold tolerance in living higher high-rise is on lift, psychological and preference.