PLACE-MAKING IN THE CONTEXT OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

Abstract

The study examines the concept of "place" and "place-making" in the context of the present Kent Ridge Campus, by evaluating the manner and extent by which the National University of Singapore (NUS) major stakeholder (students) relate to the campus in terms of its identity, sense of attachment, memory and history. The study analyses the physical and social environment of the campus and examines how students use various activity clusters within the campus, and how they perceive these facilities and relate to them as meaningful, hip and friendly places. It also examines the extent to which the campus relates to the surrounding neighbourhood with the aim of considering the potential for strengthening town-gown integration. The idea is to evaluate the prospects for the campus to evolve into a vibrant activity node within its neighbourhood, with a pulsating 24-7 economy, that embraces and the social and economic life of its surrounds. The study has significant implications for campus planning, and will present useful findings as inputs for decision-makers in the context ofthe competitive environment for provision of university-level education in the region and globally.