Urban area - Singapore (Land use change, traffic and housing)

Question 1

Tiong Bahru info

Answer 1

• Used to be an old run down area near west of sg
• Recently wealthier people have started moving in bc shop house style architecture
• New eateries have opened up which are quite pricey –> replace old cheap eating joints eg:- cafes, bakeries and coffee shops along Eng Hoon street

Question 2

Advantages TB

Answer 2

• Area has become more attractive
• Housing quality improve –> whole area is more developed
• People who lived here but wanted to move out would have benefitted from prop value increase.

Question 3

DA TB

Answer 3

• Poorer people in the area cannot afford new rent
• Many mama/low order shop owners have had to sell as they can’t afford rent
• Cost of rent tripled in last 10 years
• Old cheap eateries replaced by ex –> higher cost of living
• Traffic and parking –> historically designed before mass car ownership –> cannot have easily traffic flow

Question 4

Urban sprawl/ RU fringe (Buangkok info)

Answer 4

• Last kampong (malay word for village) in sg that functions traditionally
• Near Hougang area
• Govt wants to bulldoze it to increase housing area –> expand urban

Question 5

DA KB

Answer 5

• Residents may not be able to afford housing elsewhere as rent here is very cheap
• Community spirit of Kampong destroyed –> way of life destroyed if they move
• Culture erased and future generations unable to see another Kampong
• Kampong provides some food for SG including eggs –> increased reliance on import
• Peace of residents disturbed by construction around area.
• Still wildlife in and around compound whose habitat will be destroyed
• Increased flood risk due to less permeable surfaces

Question 6

Management KB

Answer 6

• Financial assistance

- Keeping one or two houses intact for future generations

Question 7

Bukit Brown cemetary

Answer 7

It is a historical cemetery full of wildlife. Govt wants to bulldoze to build housing and roads.

Question 8

A of BBC

Answer 8

• Will improve traffic

- More space for workers of economically active age to live in sg and improve economy

Question 9

DA of BBC

Answer 9

• Habitat of wildlife destroyed eg;- malaysian Colugo lives here and is rare
• Visual pollution of buildings
• Construction work disturbs people and animals
• More flooding chances bc impermeable surfaces

Question 10

Cross Island Line

Answer 10

Building the longest fully underground mrt (mass rapid transit) line from one end of sg to the other. 50 km long. Plans to be completed by 2030. But it plans to through Central Catchment Nature Reserve

Question 11

Problems CIL

Answer 11

• Habitat fragmentation through construction
• Soil erosion
• Largest nature reserve in Singapore will be impacted
• Degrade pristine habitats

Question 12

Management CIL

Answer 12

Suggested diversion of line to the south, adding 2 km to line but only increasing travel time by 4 mins.

Question 13

Housing SG stats

Answer 13

• population 5.6 million
• pop aim by 2030 + 1.3 million
• SG already high pop. density 8358/ sq. km

Question 14

Housing solutions

Answer 14

• Roof over every head policy –> priority
• HDB (Housing development Board) set up in 1960
• 85% of SGeans live in govt. subsidised housing
• Policies on foreign land ownership - under Residential Prop. Act, foreign people face restrictions on buying vacant resi. land and landed houses.
• Building high rise
• Building on Greenfield and Brownfield
• Land reclamation - 20% sg is reclaimed
• Re zoning of Hillview from industrial to residential
• Redev of old f and n factory to mix use development
• Converting Alexandra Distribution park to a new high tech space.