RECEPTIVENESS OF YOUNG SINGAPOREANS TOWARDS SMART FEATURES IN PUBLIC RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS (SPRB): DRIVERS AND BARRIERS

Abstract

The development of smart and sustainable cities (SSCs) is emphasised worldwide to ensure that cities remain resilient in an increasingly challenging environment. In Singapore, various initiatives were introduced to maintain its global competitiveness and relevance as a SSC. This research study was formulated to investigate various drivers and barriers that could affect the receptiveness of young Singaporeans (aged 18 to 35) towards smart features in public residential buildings (SPRBs). Questionnaires were disseminated to the targeted respondents and 213 valid responses were obtained over a period of 11 weeks. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with five individuals of different demographics to supplement the research findings. Firstly, both qualitative and quantitative analyses revealed that 36.2% of respondents were aware of SPRBs in Singapore. Furthermore, there was a generally low receptiveness towards SPRBs as 39.9% of respondents were willing to purchase a public residential unit equipped with smart features (SPRU). Secondly, there was insufficient evidence to support that an individual’s demographics affected their receptiveness towards SPRBs. Thirdly, the top five drivers included the ease of access, safety-related drivers and psychological needs. The top five barriers comprised cyberattacks, privacy and security concerns, overdependence and task perception. Lastly, both drivers and barriers contributed to Perceived Ease of Use (PEU) and Perceived Usefulness (PU) of the proposed framework. It is hoped that public authorities can leverage on this study to further examine the feasibility of SPRBs and improve the concept in tandem with the changing environmental conditions and needs of future homebuyers in Singapore.