INNER CITY VERSUS REGIONAL NEW TOWN LIVING: PERCEPTIONS OF PUBLIC HOUSING DWELLERS

Abstract

Planned urban decentralisation is often viewed as an opportunity to ease the population in the inner city of Singapore. Along this line, the government has made plans for regional new towns as early as 1960s and in 1991, it further adopted the proposal for the decentralisation of the population and commercial functions to regional centres outside the city. At the same time, Singapore's inner city is blossoming into a rich, vibrant and distinctive destination of many unique ambiences and experiences to Live, Work and Play. Using Tanjong Pagar and Punggol as a case study, the study sought to determine the perceptions of the population towards inner city and regional new town living. The planning of Singapore's land resources and its physical environment was also discussed. The results showed that the respondents from Punggol were generally contented and delighted with the development of Punggol. There was no intention of moving back to inner city areas such as Tanjong Pagar where the price of housing there is far beyond the affordability of the low and middle household income dwellers. Tanjong Pagar respondents did agree that property pricing of the inner city are high, resulting in some of the potential up graders intention to decide to opt for regional new towns. As such, the dissertation analyses that private housing in inner city will eventually be occupied by high income group of Singaporeans and foreign expatiate. Bringing population back to the inner city does have some implications on land use planning. Increase in population will inevitability increase the space demand for other form of land uses.