THE IMPORTANCE OF HDB CIRCULATION DESIGNS IN PROMOTING SOCIALLY COHESIVE NEIGHBOURHOODS

Abstract

In Singapore, high-rise public housing blocks managed by the Housing Development Board (HDB) are the most prevalent building typology in neighbourhoods. For the past 50 years, circulation spaces in these HDB buildings have played a significant role in residents’ daily lives; they acted as service yards, gardening spaces and even playgrounds for children. However, authorities and developers see these spaces as merely fire escape routes, hence, scrimping on circulation designs. Poor circulation designs in HDB developments have discouraged residents from gathering there, thus compromising opportunities for social interaction between various ethnic and social groups. This is crucial in multi-racial Singapore as a cohesive society is vital in sustaining social and economic stability. Therefore, this dissertation aims to investigate how the design of circulation spaces in different HDB block typologies influence social interaction, and identify the features that caused the variation in occupant behaviour and space usage. The main objective is to highlight the value of circulation designs in promoting socially cohesive neighbourhoods and provide design recommendations for future HDBs. To achieve the objectives, literature review, on-site observations and interviews were completed. Through literature review, physical and social interactions are found to be essential in building a cohesive community, and architecture has been proven to influence the level of interaction. For on-site observations, three HDB typologies were investigated: slab block, point block and hybrid block. Design features, environmental factors and spatial configurations that would promote participatory activities were analysed. Although the approachability of neighbours, personal interests and demographics also play a part in influencing social interaction, the research has concluded that promising designs do encourage active use and improve community cohesion in the long run.