POINT / SPREAD: AN ASSESSMENT ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF SHOPS AND AMENITIES IN HDB NEW TOWNS AND ITS EFFECTS ON AGING-IN-PLACE FOR ELDERLY RESIDENTS

Abstract

“A home is a fundamental human imperative” (Pastalan, et al., 1993) and a large proportion of Singapore’s population live in public housing. The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has been planning towns and providing affordable public housing for Singapore since its inception in the 1960s and continues to do so today. People in Singapore are living longer lives due to improvements in nutrition, living conditions and public health services. Advances in medical and pharmacological technology, coupled with a low crude birth rate, puts Singapore in the setting of an ever‐growing, “greying” population. Singapore has been championing for the elderly to “age‐in‐place” through the development of strong social networks so that the elderly can continue to live in community for as long as possible without institutionalization. (MCYS, 2009) With the upcoming change in age demographics, it becomes important that the planning of towns and the design of public housing estates are prepared to receive this phenomenon. This paper seeks to investigate and assess the evolved design of town planning, focusing on the distribution of facilities and amenities that cater to the ageing‐in‐place condition. It postulates that the manner of distribution of such spaces, apart from availability, in the physical environment has a direct impact on the general well‐being of the elderly, contributing greatly to the ability of the elderly to age‐inplace. The findings show that the manners of distribution in newer towns are not as conducive for ageing‐in‐place when compared to its predecessors.