RE-THINKING THE CITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE : A NEW DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ORCHARD ROAD

Abstract

The current modernist urban planning methods may not be conducive to the development of Orchard Road as a vibrant and enjoyable street. By examining the notion of a city and the use of it by people in the form of pedestrians and consumers within it, the thesis seeks to find a new approach that might guide developments. In contrast to establishing a common abstracted ideal that dictates urban forms, the thesis proposes the development of streets that reflects and complements the vibrancy of diversity in contemporary Singapore. This is attempted using the various logics, expectations and experiences of everyday journeys and realities, the heterogeneous composition and demands of different social groups as a generator for guiding developments on Orchard Road.