RETAINING OR REMAKING OUR HERITAGE IN THE OLD WORLD CHARM

Abstract

The Identity Plan introduced in 2002, aiming to retain the built heritage in familiar neighbourhoods and conserving the social memories. Incorporating extensive public participation, the plan marked another step forward in the efforts of conservation planning in Singapore. This dissertation seeks to evaluate the success of the Identity Plan in its attempt to enhance cultural and social identity, through in-depth interviews with the community in the Old World Charm.

Conservation of buildings is fundamental to retain the identity that is embodied within these structures. The objective of the Identity Plan is to strengthen social bonds and cultural cohesion of the nation through conservation. By incorporating public’s viewpoints into the implementation process, the planning authority understands the aspirations of people and subsequently translates them into the urban environment. The author thus seeks to ascertain whether the conservation of built heritage has facilitated in the enhancement of social identity and sense of belonging amongst people in the local community.

Through the research, the assessment of the conservation areas revealed admirable restoration and adaptive reuse of the conserved buildings. However, the locals expressed the absence of a vibrant community that characterised the places in the past. Drastic changes to the commercial activities in the area also affected the public’s impression of the conservation districts. In the development of place attachment and place identity, it is essential to incorporate further opinions and feedback from the local community, which identifies closely with the conserved locality that they dwell in.