THE IMPACTS OF THE HDB RECREATIONAL FACILITIES ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE

Abstract

For both the existing newer HDB housing developments and all those in the pipeline under the Build-To-Order (BTO) projects, ground level and rooftop recreational facilities are typically provided, while in the older HDB housing developments only ground level recreational facilities are provided. The initiative taken by the Housing Development Board (HDB) to construct additional rooftop recreational facilities is to satisfy the increasing demand for recreational needs, as well as improving the overall quality of life for the residents. However, there is limited to no research done to evaluate if these recreational facilities are achieving its purpose in improving the quality of life for the residents. Therefore, this study aims to examine the demographic profiles of the users and their level of satisfaction on the public recreational facilities. The analysis was done using a multi-linear regression model to examine the consumption patterns between different demographic factors, which influence the number of hours per month the residents would spend on the ground level and/or rooftop recreational facilities. The residents were also asked to rank their level of satisfaction towards the ground level, rooftop and overall HDB recreational facilities using a 5 point Likert scale. This will assist in evaluating if the quality of life of the residents has improved through these facilities. The findings show that the demographic profiles play a vital role in affecting the decision to use the recreational facilities. Especially with demographic profiles such as household income on the rise, the demand for recreational needs and facilities is increased significantly. It was also found that the rooftop recreational facilities are less popular and attractive as compared to the comprehensive ground level recreational facilities. The final portion of the findings shows that the HDB’s attempt to improve the quality of life of the residents by introducing the rooftop recreational facilities is not very successful. The rooftop recreational facilities are poorly visited and the level of satisfaction the findings obtained from the survey shows that the rooftop facilities have little impact on their quality of life. In conclusion, the analysis and findings of this research aims to provide useful information in assisting the planning and development decisions of future Build-To-Order (BTO) or HDB upgrading projects and developments.