SPACE USAGE AND THE LEVEL OF SATISFACTION IN CHINATOWN

Abstract

There is an emphasis on identity in the Concept Plan 2001. Preserving our heritage and culture was seen as one of the ways to enforce the sense of identity in Singaporeans. Chinatown is an important part of our heritage and, thus conservation of Chinatown is integral. This study attempts to study the space usage in Chinatown shophouses and the level of satisfaction of the conservation in Chinatown and the functional aspects of the shophouses. Offices are a prominent space usage in Chinatown shophouses, especially in the subdistricts of Telok Ayer, Bukit Pasoh and Tanjong Pagar. Kreta Ayer has a better mix of general trades and services, special trades and services and the local food outlets in the lower levels, although a large proportion of the upper level shophouse units are occupied by offices. Accessibility of Chinatown is found to be the most successfully element in the conservation of Chinatown. For the determination of satisfaction of Chinatown, traders place more emphasis on hygiene, accessibility within Chinatown and the general ambience while visitors place emphasis on unique elements of Chinatown like the architectural fagade and availability of traditional trades. The visitors and traders are more satisfied with the locational attributes of the shophouses than the functional aspects. However, trade mix and pricing of goods and services are more important in determination of the level of satisfaction of the shophouses. Thus, more should be done in improving the trade mix to enhance Chinatown.