Public housing precincts in Singapore
Encyclopedia
Public housing
precinct
s in Singapore
are clusters of public housing
blocks arranged as a single unit. Comprising an average of 10 blocks per precinct, they are collectively grouped into up to nine neighbourhood
s per new town
.
, adopted the precinct concept in 1978, based on its understanding that social interaction and community bonding can be optimised in a smaller planning unit compared to a full neighbourhood. In addition, precincts are expected to evoke a stronger sense of security, although they are not physically fenced, and do not restrict movements for residents or outsiders in any physical way.
Tampines New Town thus became the first new town to be planned according to this model in 1980. This concept persisted in subsequent application of the model in other towns through to the present, although some modifications are noted, particularly in terms of precinct size and physical configuration. The increased usage of multi-storey carparks also allow flexibility in the provision of open spaces for each precinct, and the configuration of blocks to separate human and vehicular traffic.
While older new towns were not built according to the precinct concept, they were, nonetheless, often planned and built in batches otherwise similar to precincts. Major town redevelopment and upgrading plans such as the Main Upgrading Programme
and the Interim Upgrading Programme in older estates such as in Queenstown
http://www.myqueenstown.blogspot.com Toa Payoh
, and Bukit Merah
from the 1990s has involved the enhancement of the precinct concept, including the physical upgrading to collective groups of blocks, re-configuration of public spaces around them, and often includes the christening of names to these estates. In other cases, old groups of blocks are completely demolished and rebuilt under the Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme
, accelerating the evolution of these towns towards the precinct concept.
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
precinct
Precinct
A precinct is a space enclosed by the walls or other boundaries of a particular place or building, or by an arbitrary and imaginary line drawn around it. The term has several different uses...
s in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
are clusters of public housing
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
blocks arranged as a single unit. Comprising an average of 10 blocks per precinct, they are collectively grouped into up to nine neighbourhood
Neighbourhood
A neighbourhood or neighborhood is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town or suburb. Neighbourhoods are often social communities with considerable face-to-face interaction among members. "Researchers have not agreed on an exact definition...
s per new town
New town
A new town is a specific type of a planned community, or planned city, that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are uncommon in new...
.
History
The Housing and Development Board, currently the sole public housing planner, designer and builder in the city-stateCity-state
A city-state is an independent or autonomous entity whose territory consists of a city which is not administered as a part of another local government.-Historical city-states:...
, adopted the precinct concept in 1978, based on its understanding that social interaction and community bonding can be optimised in a smaller planning unit compared to a full neighbourhood. In addition, precincts are expected to evoke a stronger sense of security, although they are not physically fenced, and do not restrict movements for residents or outsiders in any physical way.
Tampines New Town thus became the first new town to be planned according to this model in 1980. This concept persisted in subsequent application of the model in other towns through to the present, although some modifications are noted, particularly in terms of precinct size and physical configuration. The increased usage of multi-storey carparks also allow flexibility in the provision of open spaces for each precinct, and the configuration of blocks to separate human and vehicular traffic.
While older new towns were not built according to the precinct concept, they were, nonetheless, often planned and built in batches otherwise similar to precincts. Major town redevelopment and upgrading plans such as the Main Upgrading Programme
Main Upgrading Programme
The Main Upgrading Programme, or MUP , was formally launched in July 1990, initiating a massive physical upgrading exercise for the thousands of flats built by the Housing and Development Board in Singapore.-History:...
and the Interim Upgrading Programme in older estates such as in Queenstown
Queenstown, Singapore
Queenstown1 is one of the early housing estates in Singapore, built before Toa Payoh and Ang Mo Kio, and was a test bed for much of Singapore's public housing...
http://www.myqueenstown.blogspot.com Toa Payoh
Toa Payoh New Town
Toa Payoh New Town is the second oldest new town in Singapore, developed since 1962. It is home to the HDB Hub and hosts one of the country's three air-conditioned bus interchanges, the other two being the one in Sengkang and Ang Mo Kio...
, and Bukit Merah
Bukit Merah
Bukit Merah is a hill in Singapore. Previously, it was a much larger hill that was situated at the present site of Henderson housing estate, which lies opposite the Delta Sports Complex. There was a Chinese cemetery on the reverse side of the hill. The present Bukit Merah Secondary School and...
from the 1990s has involved the enhancement of the precinct concept, including the physical upgrading to collective groups of blocks, re-configuration of public spaces around them, and often includes the christening of names to these estates. In other cases, old groups of blocks are completely demolished and rebuilt under the Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme
Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme
The Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme, or SERS for short, is an urban redevelopment strategy employed by the Housing and Development Board in Singapore in maintaining and upgrading public housing flats in older estates in the city-state...
, accelerating the evolution of these towns towards the precinct concept.
Lists of precincts
- Precincts in Ang Mo Kio New Town
- Precincts in Bedok New Town
- Precincts in Bishan New Town
- Precincts in Bukit Batok New Town
- Precincts in Bukit Merah
- Precincts in Bukit Panjang New Town
- Precincts in Choa Chu Kang New Town
- Precincts in Clementi New Town
- Precincts in Geylang
- Precincts in Hougang New Town
- Precincts in Jurong East New Town
- Precincts in Jurong West New Town
- Precincts in Kallang/WhampoaWhampoaWhampoa is the old English transliteration of Huangpu District, Guangzhou, in China.From there, it derives its other meanings, and can also refer to:* Relating to the Whampoa district:...
- Precincts in Pasir Ris New Town
- Precincts in Punggol New Town
- Precincts in QueenstownQueenstown, SingaporeQueenstown1 is one of the early housing estates in Singapore, built before Toa Payoh and Ang Mo Kio, and was a test bed for much of Singapore's public housing...
- Precincts in Sembawang New Town
- Precincts in Serangoon New Town
- Precincts in Sengkang New TownPrecincts in Sengkang New TownThis is a list of public housing precincts in Sengkang New Town, Singapore:-Neighbourhood 1 - Rivervale:-Neighbourhood 4 :Notes Residential block Multi-storey carpark Other structures, including pavilions...
- Precincts in Simei New Town
- Precincts in Tampines New Town
- Precincts in Toa Payoh New Town
- Precincts in Woodlands New Town
- Precincts in Yishun New Town