RENEWAL OF OLD NEW TOWNS IN SINGAPORE : BASED ON A STUDY OF TOA PAYOH NEW TOWN.

Abstract

Over 80% of Singapore’s population stays in public housing. Nearly fifty years after the construction of our first New Town, our public housing is entering another phase of development. The old New Towns are facing increasing pressure to intensify the use of land which appears to threaten their urban character and pattern. Such issues are highlighted in this dissertation and suggestions are also made on how certain urban characteristics of these towns could be retained or even strengthened, despite the transformations.

The urban character of a New Town is first defined by its structural model and planning concept that establish its visual identity and sense of place. By tracing the development of these qualities, issues that are important to the character of the old New Towns can be identified. An urban design analysis is carried out to evaluate and comment on the subject of identity and change in Toa Payoh, the first New Town in Singapore.

As a finalist of the World Habitat Award in 1994, the innovative strategies in improving the quality of life of its residents have won Toa Payoh New Town international acclaim. The various renewal programmes and their impact on its urban character are discussed at the micro and macro level. While upgrading the housing estates may achieve greater individual identity and effective planning, there is still room for improvement on the spatial quality of communal spaces between precincts. Feedback from residents also prove to be important in identifying places or landmarks that impact the local culture and lifestyle, which may be less obvious to policymakers.

Due to the constraint of time and need to observe word limit, this study focuses only on Toa Payoh New Town as a case study. It may not be as comprehensive a study on the renewal of old New Towns as I would like, but the conclusion and lessons learnt here will serve as a useful guide in the subsequent redevelopment of other old New Towns.