INTEGRATED COMMUNITY OF TIONG BAHRU: AUTHENTICITY IN A CONTEMPORARY HERITAGE

Abstract

In today’s globalised era, urbanisation and gentrification took its toll on authenticity (or inauthenticity). As a result, people have a thirst for individuality, resulting in personalisation, which subsequently contributes to the co-existence of both commonness and uniqueness. In Singapore, Tiong Bahru residential estate has demonstrated a similar situation where it celebrates the best of both worlds. Its fusion of opposites commends each other, creating an integrated community: a diverse mix of demographics consisting of people from all walks of life living harmoniously together in a conserved estate. With physical structures to preserve the connection between people and place, the estate has demonstrated a positive spatial re-adaptation of commercial entities into its well-preserved residential neighbourhood. This phenomenon has contributed to its community integration as well as the city-state’s economy. As more estates could be anticipating such a situation, the processes, pitfalls and successes of existing commercial-residential integrated development are analysed. It explores the three main characteristics of the integrated community of Tiong Bahru estate: economic, social and quality of life, citing New York as a case study to prove its viability, successes and short-comings as a gentrified estate. Finally, it concludes and supports the hypothesis that more of Singapore’s residential estate would adopt the practice of spatial-readaptation, creating integrated communities.